


31 Days of Apex

by UnfoundedIdeas



Series: Challenges and Months [2]
Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: 31 Days of Apex (Apex Legends), Accidental Heroism, Ajay was almost a trust fund baby, Background Relationships, Blood Donation, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Broken Bones, Canon Compliant, Carnival, Caustic is hard to shop for, Childhood Memories, Christmas Fluff, Dimension Travel, Dreams and Nightmares, Escape, F/F, F/M, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Family Heirlooms, Feast, Flirting, Fluff and Humor, Found Family, Friendship, Gen, Gift Exchange, Google translate greek, Hanukkah, Historical References, Hobbies, Hunters & Hunting, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Sex, Letters, Loba gets tased, Loss of Parent(s), Making Up, Manic Episode, Marble Goddess Wraith, Marriage Proposal, Masks, Massage, Me my girlfriend and a four foot tall nessie meme, Meeting the Parents, Mentions of alcohol, Model building, Modern AU, Monologue, Mugging, Music, Noise Sensitivity, Not Beta Read, Original Character(s), Party, Platonic Cuddling, Pre-Canon, Pre-Relationship, Priates, Rants, Rescue, Revenant Being Revenant (Apex Legends), Scars, Secret Identity, Secret Santa, Security guard Bangalore, Self-Reflection, Social Anxiety, Soul-Searching, Spa Treatments, Starting Over, Stealing, Survivor Guilt, Temporary Character Death, Texting, Theft, Touch-Starved, Toxic Gas, Tragedy, Trophies, Vague Supernatural Elements, Wattson gets shocked, Wattson is scary, child wattson, conservation hunting, damaged friendship, frontier war, girls day - Freeform, girls night, going to space target, historical setting, loss of family, loss of home, lost family, lost treasures AU, making wraith sleep for once, octane being bored, self-care, sky diving, stealing games, touch rediscovery, trust funds, villain speech, young Loba
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:40:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 32
Words: 23,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25024819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnfoundedIdeas/pseuds/UnfoundedIdeas
Summary: Based on the 31 Days of Apex tag on Twitter.Today:Day 31: FreeformWraith has one person to visit before she asks the most important question of her life
Relationships: Bangalore | Anita Williams/Lifeline | Ajay Che, Crypto | Park Tae Joon & Mila Alexander, Implied Bloodhound/Mirage | Elliott Witt, Lifeline | Ajay Che & Wraith | Renee Blasey, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Octane | Octavio Silva & Lifeline | Ajay Che, Wattson | Natalie Paquette/Wraith | Renee Blasey, Wraith | Renee Blasey/Unspecified Character, hinted Loba Andrade/ Bangalore | Anita Williams, past Wraith | Renee Blasey/ Bangalore | Anita Williams
Series: Challenges and Months [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1820227
Comments: 28
Kudos: 127





	1. Index

**Author's Note:**

> Punched this out in an hour, sort of satisfied with it. I wanted to go for something less straight forward than Revenant or Wraith.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because I'm out of space in the description for the index. Format is Day_: Prompt [Summary, time period, warnings, tone]

Day 1: Memory [Pathfinder's past, Pre-canon, brief description of a fight, mostly fluff]

Day 2: Blood [Mirage donates blood, around S3, nothing graphic, all fluff]

Day 3: Mercy [Bangalore saves an enemy, Late Frontier War, brief description of severe injuries, slight angst]

Day 4: Prize [Wraith goes to the Fair, Canon time period, no warnings, pure fluff]

Day 5: Family [Gibraltar writes to his parents, Canon time period, mentions of background character death, tiny bit of angst and family fluff]

Day 6: Noise [Wattson gets overwhelmed at Mirage's party, around S3, minor mentions of Wattson's anxiety, angst with comfort]

Day 7: Mask [Crypto reflects on who he's become, canon time period, references to lost family and disassociation, angst]

Day 8: Healing [Lifeline and the girls take a spa day, S5, no warnings, fluff]

Day 9: Weapon [Dr. Singh rants about Wraith, pre-canon, no overt warnings, technically angst for Wraith]

Day 10: Truth [Loba plays a game with her mom, pre-canon & Revenant, no warnings, fluff]

Day 11: Shield [Caustic needs a body shield and Gibby has one, canon time period, temporary death, anger]

Day 12: Ruins [Wattson searches for ancient ruins and finds a goddess, historical AU, no warnings, fluff I guess]

Day 13: Hero [Octane gets bored and finds a chance to save a life, early S3, burning buildings, fluff sort of]

Day 14: Rest [Lifeline gets Wraith to come to girls night and then go to sleep, early S2, no warnings, fluff]

Day 15: Skull [Bloodhound goes on a hunt and contemplates their kill, canon time period, hunting and cleaning a carcass (non-graphic), contemplative]

Day 16: Growth [Loba steals something but has a change of heart, canon time period, referenced sexual content, fluff]

Day 17: Home [Young Renee watches her home die, Titanfall 2, watching everyone you know die, angst]

Day 18: Sky [Pathfinder goes on his first drop of the Games, slightly pre canon, having fun during bloodsport, fluff]

Day 19: Target [Revenant and Octane go on a special mission, canon time period, no warnings, humor]

Day 20: Friendship [After a falling out Pathfinder and Mirage have a heart to hear, canon time period, no warnings, mild angst]

Day 21: Scar [Wattson gets hers during a midnight experiment, pre-canon, brief non-graphic injury, angst and fluff]

Day 22: Dream [Gibraltar has a bad dream and talks it over with a fellow Legend, canon time period, guilt and pain, angst and fluff]

Day 23: Meal [It's the end of the season so its time for a feast, canon time period, no warnings, fluff]

Day 24: Hobby [Bangalore shows Lifeline her unexpected hobby, canon time period, no warnings, fluff]

Day 25: Fear [Revenant experiences fear for the first time, canon time period, brief description of blood and death, angst for Rev]

Day 26: Holiday [It's wintertime and everyone needs a present even Caustic, canon time period, no warnings, fluff]

Day 27: Music [Bloodhound remembers a time before, pre-Season 3, minor angst warning, reflection]

Day 28: Treasure [Loba gets more than she bargains for on a heist, modern AU, broken nose and tasing, "heisty"]

Day 29: Skin [Wraith rediscovered touch on her skin, post-Voidwalker, implied nudity, curiosity]

Day 30: Trust [Lifeline gets rid of her trust fund, pre-canon, no warnings, bit of angst and hope]

Day 31: Freeform [Wraith has one person to visit before she asks the most important question of her life, no-warnings, post canon, fluff]


	2. Index

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> IDK what happened to this chapter, trying to find a way to reverse/restore or find a back up of it...

~~Day 1: Memory [Pathfinder's past, Pre-canon, brief description of a fight, mostly fluff]~~

~~Day 2: Blood [Mirage donates blood, around S3, nothing graphic, all fluff]~~

~~Day 3: Mercy [Bangalore saves an enemy, Late Frontier War, brief description of severe injuries, slight angst]~~

~~Day 4: Prize [Wraith goes to the Fair, Canon time period, no warnings, pure fluff]~~

~~Day 5: Family [Gibraltar writes to his parents, Canon time period, mentions of background character death, tiny bit of angst and family fluff]~~

~~Day 6: Noise [Wattson gets overwhelmed at Mirage's party, around S3, minor mentions of Wattson's anxiety, angst with comfort]~~

~~Day 7: Mask [Crypto reflects on who he's become, canon time period, references to lost family and disassociation, angst]~~

~~Day 8: Healing [Lifeline and the girls take a spa day, S5, no warnings, fluff]~~

~~Day 9: Weapon [Dr. Singh rants about Wraith, pre-canon, no overt warnings, technically angst for Wraith]~~

~~Day 10: Truth [Loba plays a game with her mom, pre-canon & Revenant, no warnings, fluff]~~

~~Day 11: Shield [Caustic needs a body shield and Gibby has one, canon time period, temporary death, anger]~~

~~Day 12: Ruins [Wattson searches for ancient ruins and finds a goddess, historical AU, no warnings, fluff I guess]~~

~~Day 13: Hero [Octane gets bored and finds a chance to save a life, early S3, burning buildings, fluff sort of]~~

~~Day 14: Rest [Lifeline gets Wraith to come to girls night and then go to sleep, early S2, no warnings, fluff]~~

~~Day 15: Skull [Bloodhound goes on a hunt and contemplates their kill, canon time period, hunting and cleaning a carcass (non-graphic), contemplative]~~

~~Day 16: Growth [Loba steals something but has a change of heart, canon time period, referenced sexual content, fluff]~~

~~Day 17: Home [Young Renee watches her home die, Titanfall 2, watching everyone you know die, angst]~~


	3. Day 2: Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For nothing but altruistic reasons, Mirage has convinced his fellow Legends to donate to the blood drive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something a bit atypical for the prompt, trying to keep these mostly lighthearted. These are a fun exercise and whoever is running the twitter is doing an awesome job of RTing and came up with some neat prompts.

Don’t mind me, just being a hero. You know, save three lives with one donation, it’s just small thing I do because I care. Yes, Ajay does give me an apple juice, and yes I get a gift card to a sweet coffee place, but that’s worthless compared to helping people in need. I’ve even convinced a lot of the other Legends to come to the blood drive because every donation helps, and also I get more gift cards. Win-win!

You know, it’s funny who is freaked out by this. Octavio seems really down with needles, but these ones make him figur-figgi-fige restless. Maybe that’s just because it’s Ajay drawing the blood and she might still have a grudge or two. 

“Are you ready Mr. Witt?” Ajay’s lovely assistant, Kai asks me. You know the type, tall, dark, handsome, or beautiful I guess? Can girls be handsome? I called Bangs handsome once and I thought I was going to be put through a wall, but we sorted out our differences. Anyways, she reminds me of the most handsome person I know, yours truly.

“Call me Elliot, or Mirage, or tonight at six?” She chuckles and gives me a faint smile. Yeah, I’m good. I’m good. 

“Well Mr. Tonight at six, I see you’re a frequent donor so you know the drill. Squeeze on this and we can get started.” 

“Funny and beautiful, we already have so many things in common. You like pork chops?" 

Maybe a bridge too far, she goes silent while the needle jabs into my arm. It hurts and pinches, but a hero has to go through a little pain, otherwise, he's not relatable. And I'm a strong guy, nothing scares me. Except for maybe spiders, uuuuhhh, hate those things, too many freaking legs. But my blood donation is going well, I think. I’m not looking at the needle or the blood coming out because...I’m more focused on my fellow Legends and making sure they’re safe. Natalie looks fascinated by the draw for some reason and her phelb-flowbo-blood takey doctor is trying to keep up with her questions. Good luck, you’ll need it, that girl does not stop, she spent a weekend interrogating me about my decoys. Apparently she’s a fan of my mom, and you know what, that’s awesome. When she’s having a good day I’ll bring Natalie to meet her, they’d both like that. 

Caustic is keeping watch on her too and now he’s staring at me. That’s a dad stare if I’ve ever seen one so I focus on...oh come one, Crypto is here?! Ugh, whatever it’s a good cause but he is not redeemed yet! The paranoid guy probably thinks there's mind control chips in the needle or they're injecting us with something. Which isn't true right? Right?

There’s some grumbling and whimpers, so I look over to see Wraith with her eyes jammed shut and head turned as far as possible from the needle. She's almost crawling out of her chair and mumbling something. Ajay is holding her hand while it slides in and it’s actually kind of...cute? This is the same Wraith I saw pull and arcstar out of her leg and throw it back, and she’s afraid of a little needle. Wraith, if you can read my thoughts, please don’t kill me. See, I’m calling you Wraith and not Renee like you told us not to! Oh no, she's going to kill me now. 

Anyways, I’ve got a good heart so my blood bag fills up pretty quick. Gibs, Bangs, and Bloth are already in the recovery area looking like the heroes they are with their bright red bandage. It warms my heart to know my fellow Legends are willing to set aside their differences and participate in some different bloodletting. Even Pathfinder wanted to come, but Wattson was able to remind him he is a robot. He did promise to get some blood, and I’m choosing to interpret that as enthusiastic and not terrifying.

"Ah, AB+, the universal recipient. Just my type." Kai smiles and hands me a slip of paper with her number! O h yeah nailed it. As we know, a hero always gets the girl, heh, wink. "And I love pork chops."

She puts the bag of my blood in a cooler with the other donations while Ajay directs traffic around Natalie and Caustic. Wraith is still squirming and everyone lost track of Octavio, but there is a bag with his name on it in there. I'm really proud of them all, for once, we're really helping people, doing some good in the Outlands. I'll tell mom all about it when I take Natalie to visit, she always said I would inspire people. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, feedback is appreciated.


	4. Day 3: Mercy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bangalore finds a wounded Militia Pilot and defies her training. 
> 
> Warning for graphic descriptions of injuries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based very loosely on the newspaper write up on Bangalore. And yes I am late on this one.

The area reeked of burning power cells, that distinct and putrid rotting odor was almost as thick as the smoke in the air. Over a dozen Militia and IMC titans alike lay in ruins among the slaughtered infantry and downed gunships. The two patrols had found each other by accident, and Sgt. Williams was among the few survivors. Her rifle was kept tight in her shoulder, her head on a swivel, there was likely still danger within that smoke. Metal scraped on itself as one of the IMC titans collapsed into an even smaller burning heap. 

"MOM! I can't die like this, please someone! I'm sorry mom, I'm sorry." A voice came from the charred hulk of a titan. 

Anita sprinted over, swearing she recognized that voice. She vaulted over a discarded chaingun and slid right up to the shattered cockpit. Inside, she could make out the tangled controls and a singed picture of an older woman taped to the bulkhead. The pilot continued to beg for mercy and his mother from within. He was young, couldn't be much more than her age, but he was in terrible shape. Half his face was a shredded mass of burnt flesh resembling charred ground meat and it hung off the exposed bone in chunks. Shrapnel had torn through his uniform and the small holes were ringed by large blotches of blood. His Militia uniform...

"Please, help me." He looked at Anita with his lone eye uncaring of the uniform she wore or the rifle still in her hands. His voice was pitiable and weak.

Without a word, Anita took out her knife. The enemy pilot closed his eye and breathed in, accepting of her form of mercy. The blade slashed across his chest and he was freed from the harness. His eye opened with shock as she dragged him from his destroyed war machine and into a patch of grass. The first aid kit of the titan was cracked open and Anita made quick work of the limited supply of syringes and painkillers. Without serious medical attention, this man would die. 

"My name is MacNamara, my friends call me Mac." He sputtered out, a little blood leaked from his swollen lips. Punctured lungs, not good.

"I didn't ask for your name. Be quiet and let me work." She growled.

Whatever was compelling her to spare his life couldn't last long in the face of reminders this was the enemy. An enemy who sought to destroy everything the IMC had worked to build, the enemy who wanted chaos and lawlessness to continue to reign in the Outlands. Training and doctrine required the enemy to be eliminated on sight, as did her own conscience. The Militia had taken friends, they'd taken family from Anita. But even with a pistol still strapped to his thigh, she couldn't even summon the thought of killing Mac. He was too...human now. 

Mac lurched, his bleeding was slowing. The pulse in his neck weakened, as far as Anita could tell, he was dying. There was one option left.

* * *

"He'll live. Hopefully this SoB knew a thing or two. Once he's up to it we'll begin interrogations. You don't look that good yourself Sergent, Dr. Cross's door is always open if you need to talk to her." A medic told her as she looked down on the now unconscious Mac.

"We're supposed to kill them. I don't know what came over me." Anita mumbled. 

The IMC medic wiped his hands and tossed his bloodied gloves into a trash bin. He'd done a quick and effective job of stiching and cleaning up their new PoW along with the surviving members of Anita's squad, but he'd grumbled to himself the entire time he sutured the Militia pilot. 

"Call it whatever you wish, but we all make odd choices under pressure. Some might use the word 'mercy', but I always preferred 'misguided compassion'. I'll put in a good word for you with the Major, he shouldn't give you too much trouble about this." He clapped Anita on the shoulder and left. 

A strange feeling took residence in her gut. A guilty pride. She needed to ask Jackie about this, he was always better with emotions than her. With Long Spear wrapping up, she'd see him soon on the _Hestia._


	5. Day 4: Prize

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wraith is determined to win a prize for Wattson, no matter what it takes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you thought I wasn't making a Darkspraks chapter and making it the longest so far, you were sorely mistaken.

Natalie's eyes were the size of dinner plates and they were sparkling like stars. 

"I love him..." She whispered of the massive plush Nessie hanging from the booth. 

Elliot had talked most of his "coworkers" into going to the Solace City Fair and with the day coming to an end, it was time to cash out their tickets. Despite having more fun in six hours than most people had a month, Natalie was not great at carnie games and had about a hundred tickets to her name. She'd also spent a significant number of them on other, smaller Nessie plushes and prizes. 

"He's five hundo." The booth's manager informed. 

It burned Wraith to see Natalie's face drop like that. When she was happy or excited, being near her was like perpetually cuddling a kitten, just soft bliss. A voice informed Wraith she currently had three hundred and eight tickets in her back pocket. Unlike Natalie, she was playing to win. She didn't have her heart set on any particular prize, but she was naturally competitive and neither Anita nor Elliot were going to beat her. 

"I've got three left, sorry Nat. Let's go ride JumpMaster again, that's fun, right?" Elliot returned the smile to her face and they trotted off for the roller coaster.

Wraith was doing mental math. With the number of game tokens she had left, fourty minutes before close, and some luck, she could pull this off. She pulled herself aside and started to do research. How were these games rigged, what gave her the best ticket to time ratio, which ones could she easily beat every time? Both her phone and the voices conspired to rapidly make her an expert on carnival games, though he had burned twenty precious minutes. 

Stop one was the high striker, likely loaded with a large spring to prevent the puck from hitting the bell. She's seen even Makoa fail to produce a ring and that man could effectively benchpress a car. But he didn't have her secret weapon. The carnie must have had a laugh to himself as this five foot four woman walked over looking like she was going to win. He readied the lightened hammer and began his schpiel. 

"Welcome to Francis's Feats of Sensational Strength, you think you have what it takes to slam that little puck all the way to the top and ring my bell?" She wrenched the hammer from his hands without a word. "Guess so. Give me a ring and you'll get seventy-five. One prize per customer."

She studied the track the puck ran up. Periodically there were labels "wuss", "baby", "not bad", "strong man", "champion." Wraith took in a breath, letting the void flow through her. The hammer raised behind her back, her hands positioned like she was swinging an ax. With a cry of power, it was brought down and void was channeled directly through it. The hammer face collided with the lever in a shower of blue-purple parks. The puck rocketed up, past all the insults and slammed home with a satisfying ding. It clattered back to its original perch and left the bell humming with a newfound dent in it.

"Oh...that was, impressive. Thanks for playing." 

Wraith darted away with her increase in wealth, there was still a lot to do, and this time at the "knock the bottles off a stand." At the insistence of Anita and Ajay, she had joined the Apex Softball team. Though she was fast and had a surprisingly good arm, she could not hit for the life of her. That didn't matter in this game, she just needed to three-time in a row knock a stack of steel bottles over. A sharp pitch to the middle would do the trick, easier said than done. That would net her one hundred tickets. The rest she'd have to find a solution for. 

As with the high striker, the carnie had a prepared speech that she ignored. Wraith tossed the ball in her palm a few times, getting a sense of the weight and size. Noticeably different than the softball she was used to, but close enough for her purposes. 

She wound up a vicious underhanded pitch and sent bottles scattering across the pavement with victorious clangs. The second ball was handed to her and she began a similar ritual. A voice reminded her there was seven minutes before close. Wraith chose her target on the three-high track of bottles, dead center at the bottom. She had a sneaking suspicion that it was stack three that was fixed to give the mark confidence before pulling the rug out from them. As the softball fired from her hand and connected, she was proved right. The bottles exploded in every direction and rained down on the asphalt.

"Damn, nice arm." The carnie remarked. Probably trying to make her cocky. Either way, he rolled her the final softball. It was noticeably lighter than regulation, subtle, but there.

 _For Natalie._ Wraith thought to herself as she wound up shot number three. 

The ball soared through the air and collided with the stack of bottles right where she wanted. As expected, most of the bottle burst from their perch, but one remained, wobbling on the table. Wraith couldn't help the smirk as a small blur of purple glanced against it, making it topple to the ground. A little help from her friends never hurt. 

The reluctant carnie handed her the tickets, bringing her to a total of four hundred and eighty-three tickets. Sadly, not enough. And the PA system had just blared out that the fair closed in two minutes. Desperate, Wraith entered the Void for some extra speed and rushed for the booth with the Nessie. On the way there, she thought of options. She had a decent amount of cash on her, she could bribe the booth owner for the difference, or she could buy them off someone. There was also the possibility of just threatening him.

 _ **Barrel, your left!**_ A voice called out. 

As she peered inside, there was nothing but discarded food and other miscellaneous garbage. Then, she caught a glimpse of a unique shade of yellow, tickets! They were covered in nacho cheese, but they still counted, all twenty-seven of them. Wraith used the last of her Void reserves to tear to the booth, but the moment she emerged, the shutter was coming down.

"WAIT! I still have tickets!" Wraith cried, waving the fistful of them in the air.

"We're closed, they're still good next season, don't worry." He said, reserved.

"Please this is for a friend, just let me get one thing, I know what I want!" She begged, but he seemed disinterested. "I-I'm Wraith, the Apex Legend, I can give you an autograph, that's worth a ton of money!" He raised an uninterested eyebrow. Duh, she thought, he's seen her phase towards him, not many people could do that. 

"Not a fan, sorry. Should have seen this coming." He snarked, then something hit him. "Wait, I could sell your autograph..."

"Yeah, that's what I said." She growled under her breath as he handed her a pen.

* * *

"Yes, I heard you, I'm coming!" Natalie called from within her apartment. This time the knocks on her door did stop and she swore she heard footsteps running away. Looking through the peephole revealed no one. Had she been pranked?

Natalie pulled open the door ready to give her prankster a piece of her mind, but instead, she gasped and cupped her hands to her mouth. It was the giant Nessie from the fair with a note in his mouth. Her hands shook with excitement as she ripped open the letter.

_A special gift for a special someone_

_Who am I? It's a surPRIZE_

She scanned the hall and out of the corner of her eye she saw it, a faint distorted shimmer. A smile crossed her face and she felt a little weightless.

"Thank you Wraith! There are some hard ciders in my room if you're thirsty." She blew a kiss to the shimmer. Natalie grabbed her new Nessie and left the door open behind her, smile unable to leave her face. 


	6. Day 5: Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gibraltar writes to his parents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was originally writing a Loba focused story, but then I realized, Gibraltar (as far as we know) is the only legend without a backstory of losing family. 
> 
> Bloodhound lost their parents and uncle on Talos.  
> Lifeline cut out her family for their crimes.  
> Pathfinder is a robot but lost his creator (parent).  
> Wraith lost everyone in her life.  
> Bangalore's brother was killed in the war.  
> Caustic left whatever he had when he faked his death.  
> Mirage's brothers are MiA or dead and his mother is mentally fading.  
> Octane left his family behind.  
> Wattson's parents both died, her mother before she was a year old.  
> Crypto left his life as well and Mila is dead or missing.  
> Revenant outlived whatever family he had/was taken from them.  
> Loba's parents were killed by Rev. 
> 
> Just a weird realization I wanted to build on.

Hey Pa, hey Ma,

Hope you're doing as well as me lately. I know you watch all my matches so you know, the Gibraltar name stands tall! And SARAS is doing fantastic, donations have been flooding in with the publicity. But I'm not writing to brag.

It's been too long since I've wrote to you like this, you've been on my mind. The thought got in my head after I was chatting with Anita. She mentioned how lucky I am to still have you to fall back on, how her Pa's been gone a long time. It just mulled there, and I realized it; I'm the only one here with a family anymore. We're all family to each other, but that's not the same as you two.

I still don't appreciate how much luck I have for you to be in my life. The others, none of them have family like me. You're both by my side every day and I can always call to learn something from my blood. But no one else has that. Their families are broken, disowned them, lost forever, and that just breaks my heart. All my happiest days have you in them. I still smile when I remember the tree I cut down taking out the shed. Pa, you just laughed and bought me ice cream for a good job, I'll never forget that lesson: acceptance of mistakes. 

You sacrificed for me every chance there was, and I never thought about it for a second, and for that, I'm sorry. I still take you for granted sometimes. When I hear Ajay or Octavio talk about their families, it's like they're talking about fiction. You're my inspiration to be better, to be the best, the greatest man and greatest woman I've ever known. I can't imagine a life like theirs. No matter how far I strayed, you always loved me and encouraged me to make my way in the universe. I thought that was everyone, but I was wrong. 

Most of the others, their family is just gone. ~~Renee~~ Wraith doesn't even know what happened to her's. Losing you, that would be losing part of myself. I am the man I am today because of you. And I'm still growing because my Pa is still three times the man I am and my Ma is the strongest person in the universe. That's why my Arena name is Gibraltar, I want everyone to know who I am and where I come from. Grandpa's Patu never leaves my side either. I know you miss him as much as me, I hope he's proud of me. 

People look up to me because I look up to you. When people thank Gibraltar, they're thanking you. I try to share your wisdom and your commitment with the others, they could all use a few of your lessons, even me. And I'm sure an _authentic_ Gibraltar family cookout would be a bigger hit than the imitations I put on, your rib sauce has still got it! But I know you're too humble to admit that, don't worry Pa, I don't brag about you too much. Humility, that's another one of your lessons, one that's saved my life. 

What I want to say is, thank you. For everything you ever did for me that I didn't thank you enough for. We need to meet up sometime, I can get you tickets here no problem. Elliot runs a bar, the crowd is usually a little young, but I think you'd like the drinks. Write me when you think is good. 

Thank you, love ya both,

-A man happy to be called your son

PS

Blooth sends their wishes and still wants to take you up on that hunting trip Pa. And Ma, Natalie will not stop bothering me until you send her your joke book, I don't know if we'll survive it, but she'll have a laugh.


	7. Day 6: Noise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Against the warnings of her friends, Wattson goes to one of Mirage's parties. Thankfully, her friends know what she needs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hint of darksparks of course, but the rare-pair of Lifeline and Wattson has some untapped potential IMO

This party was a bad idea. Going that is, I don’t think it’s a bad idea for Mirage to have his parties since most other people seem to enjoy them a lot. It’s something I should have seen coming too, Wraith even tried to warn me, but I still thought it would be fun. And it is, this is my family and I love everyone in their own way. Mirage makes excellent drinks and even Dr. Caustic came to make conversation with the others. But that doesn’t change that there’s too much noise. 

“Natalie, it’s Elliot, think about how loud he is when he’s just talking. His parties are...they’re not for me.” Wraith told me after our win. “I’m not going to tell you  _not_ to go, but just be ready ok?” I thought I was. 

She was one of a few who opted out. Crypto didn’t come either, but he isn’t very social, even less social than Wraith. I also didn’t see Blooth, but I think they were here.  But I’m here. With the beating speakers and blaring sirens, with the fireworks and clamor. It’s a waterfall of noise that’s pinning me underwater. The sounds aren’t distinct anymore, just a constant torrent directly into my brain and there’s nowhere to go on this yacht. Downstairs is private and even the furthest corners are too noisy to bear. I look for Dr. Caustic, I’ve lost him in the crowd. My panic starts to set in, the anchor is gone. 

Every sound is setting me closer to the edge. I’m dizzy, so unfocused I feel drunk, I have to hold the walls to stay up. My hands are wringing over each other or rubbing my arms almost on their own, I’m brushing hair from my face and rubbing my nose all the time. Even my hands feel numb now, but I can’t leave. Anita was my ride here and she’s off laughing with a girl under her arm. I don’t want to ruin her night again so I head for the stern of the yacht, it’s the quietest there and I can look out at the wiring of the thrusters. Maybe that can settle my nerves. 

Of course, it doesn’t. I knew it wouldn’t. I don’t know if I’m relieved or frustrated to be alone back here. Inside me, my nerves build on each other, making a bundle in my chest that is expanding and vibrating. This feeling is trying to burst out of me in a screech or some other outburst, one I don’t want to have in front of everyone. I'm almost twitching I’m so wound up, I need an outlet, I need quiet. 

My head gets a gentle squeeze and my ears are pressed against it. The world fades to a dull buzz and then I hear it. A Calor-9A series transformer’s distinct hum, one of my favorite sounds. It’s a constant and steady sound that I can always trust and understand. Someone put my headphones on. But they’re not mine, the quality is better and the outside is quieter. I turn around and see Ajay with a reassuring smile. There is always kindness in her face, she’s one of the people I can read well because of that. My hand graces the headphones and my fingertips run over a raised pattern. I imagine it in my head, a large “+”. They’re hers, but how did she get my sounds? She leads me by the hand to a more secluded part of the ship, down below. Mirage must have given her special permissions. 

“Doin better? Saw ya squirmin up here, honestly thought ya wouldn’t show.” Her voice is clear in the headphones and she holds my hands in hers. I focus on that to get past the noise still rattling in my head, just like my Papa taught me. 

Her hands are like so many of the others, rough and well worked, but she has something else. The delicate touch of a medic. There may be pressure points in my hands that I don’t know, but it’s soothing how she grips me like she’s absorbing all my worries. 

“Oui! Much better now, thank you. How did you know?” She chuckles at my question. It is silly I guess, I don’t keep my issue with noise a secret. 

“A few people called me. Caustic and Wraith were worried ‘bout chu, they told me ‘bout the headphones, good thing I’ve always got mine. One of ‘em gave me the sounds ya like and told me to keep an eye on ya.”

One of them...she’s being obscure on purpose, I don’t know why, but I’m still thankful to have such wonderful friends. Not many people know about the sounds that help me, not many people could even guess I have a playlist called “transformers and generators”. Only Dr. Caustic, Wraith, Pathfinder, and now Ajay know. Funny, I only know her real name...I'm becoming distracted again. That's good! It means my brain is off the noise. 

“Please thank them for me, this is so much better now.” A wrap my arms around her and she returns the hugs. I love hugs; friendly hugs, bear hugs, romantic hugs, all so warm and cozy. Ajay is a great hugger since she is always cheery and knows people's limits well. Compared to the suddenly cold room, she’s warm and inviting. After a few too few seconds, she lets me go and smiles again. 

“Come on now, ya’ve got the noise gone, come up and enjoy the party now?” Her fingers wrapped in mine. “I promise I’ll be with cha the whole time.”

“Sounds like fun!” I return her smile, I do love parties when I'm not overwhelmed. 

And she leads me back up to the deck where I control the noise now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, feedback is appreciated and encouraged.


	8. Day 7: Mask

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crypto reflects on the man he's become to find the people he cares about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm the worst Crypto player known to man, but I still think he's a cool guy. Inspired somewhat by the lore behind Hypebeast, basically that he wants to be out there but the Syndicate has forced him into hiding. I get the feeling eventually we'll see a Syndicate overthrow since so many Legends have beef with them.
> 
> Also, am I crazy, why do the tags say "Park Tae Joon" but the EA site says "Tae Joon Park"? I don't know enough about Korean names to know which is appropriate.

Buried in his sock drawer, tucked into a secret compartment, and obscured by several decoy items was Crypto’s most prized possession. A three-inch by five-inch piece of creased and faded glossy paper, a photo of three people. An older woman is in the center, her face careworn and beginning to wrinkle, but still full of kindness and her eyes seem to look right to the heart with an outstretched palm. To her left is a much younger woman, her pale face framed is with bright red hair that spills from her beanie. One can almost feel her fun-loving nature from her sly smile. Lastly, there’s the thin young man on the opposite end. He’s a little awkward in his faint smile, his tie not fully seated, but he’s happy, this is his family. 

That geeky and timid young man is unrecognizable to who he became. Crypto could practically recreate the picture from memory except for his own face. When he stared into a mirror, all he could see was the face of a stranger. Scraggly black hair he’d given up controlling, the pocks and scars of the arena, the titanium alloy plates on the lower half of his face. It was his disguise, his mask against the world. 

Tae Joon Park was a wanted fugitive and as far as anyone knew, hiding out on some backwater planet under an assumed name. Technically they were dead right. Crypto was an enigma, appearing in the chaos following an attack on Repulser Station and quickly accepted by the Syndicate for his skills in battle. He was cool under pressure, almost too cool. Most saw an emotionless hacker, more robotic than Pathfinder, and more distant than even Wraith. Park had been a soft-spoken and polite young man. Though he had few friends, those he did keep knew the kindhearted and genuine man he was. Of all, Mila knew him best. Crypto shuddered at what she’d think of him now, the ghost of a man he’d become. 

His fingers traced his jawline, the sensation only went one way. The plates returned no feeling when touched, slightly problematic when they were damaged. Embedded in the metal were dozens of crystals, invisible to the human eye, but dazzling to facial recognition software. It seemed to work in person too, The Syndicate higher-ups had no idea who was right under their noses and Wraith didn’t bat an eye at him. 

He wanted to tear the mask, dress for the whole world to see, and scream "my name is Tae Joon Park and I will not run any longer!" He'd be killed immediately. Until the day the Syndicate lay in ashes around him and Mila was recounting all her adventures, Tae was a dead man. Tears well in his eyes at the thought of her. She was his family, his closest friend, and the person he trusted with everything. One day, they'd eat noodles and debate code again and Mystik would tell them to get a life. They'd all laugh and she'd come out with another platter of piping hot noodles.

Only Mystik knew the truth of who Crypto was. Even that was an uncomfortable risk. If she were found out or killed, he didn’t know what he’d do with himself. The secret wanted to explode from his chest at every moment, but he was able to hold it in for now. He had given Wattson part of his name, Joon, just so she could have something to call him. She was a sweet young woman who knew how to keep secrets, in a way, he saw Mila in her. The thought of them meeting one day almost forced a smile on his face. 

If that were to happen, he needed to find the truth and find her. To do that, he needed to stay hidden. Tae needed to keep wearing the mask, just for now. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, feedback is appreciated!


	9. Day 8: Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lifeline rounds up the ladies for a day of R&R after the matches.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wasn't really sure what to do with this one, but wanted to be Lifeline focused. Something I guess

As resident combat medic and an on-call physician, Ajay spent most of her time with people in pain. Patching up shrapnel wounds, gauzing energy burns, and reseating shoulders was all in a day's work. If she didn’t love what she did, she wouldn’t do it, but that wasn’t to say it was relaxing or even just not stress-inducing all the time. She’d seen more suffering than she cared for and had held her friends through their (temporarily) dying breaths. It was off days like this that kept her sane. 

“Oh god yes that feels good.” She moaned. 

The skilled hands of her masseuse rolled out the knots in her shoulders, it was relief to the highest level. She’d made a day of some self-care and wrangled "the girls" to come along. Anita and Loba and Natalie were on either side of her getting the same treatment and judging by their groans and hums, they needed this just as bad. The massage was the end of a full day of R&R that had started with yoga lead by Renee of all people. 

She’d gotten Ajay into it and it had done wonders for her stress levels and turned out to be good exercise, especially paired with Anita's weight training. Even after their first session weeks ago, her back started to feel better and she was overall more comfortable just being. Today’s yoga had provided plenty of entertainment in the form of Anita’s total lack of flexibility. She’d rather do bicep curls than being her leg anywhere above waist height and had the back stiffness of a 2x4. Ajay had grown far more flexible with her lessons and Loba had innate limberness. And Nat was so goofy it almost didn’t matter if she could do the stretches or not, she was having fun and her giggles were downright therapeutic. 

Watching Renee move as she did was something else. It made sense in hindsight, Ajay had seen her whirlwind hand to hand fights several times, and been on the receiving end more than once. But when lightning-fast kicks and Phase enhanced punches were replaced with slow, deliberate arcs of her arms and balancing on whatever limb was handy, it was like watching a dancer. All the while, Ajay felt her body decompress, all her tired joints opening up with soothing relief. Loba was rather vocal about how much she was enjoying the yoga, mixed with her usual innuendo and double entendre that made Natalie giggle and Anita scowl. Yoga concluded with Anita complaining about her back and Natalie still laughing about having fallen over so many times. 

Loba had taken over for the next bit of relaxation, a trip to her personal salon. The girl had taste, Ajay would give her that. This place was next level, products so exclusive she’d never even heard of them, a team of absolute professionals who made her feel like royalty, and literally the most comfortable chair she’d ever unwound in. It was the full treatment, hair, nails, eyebrows, all that good stuff. All the built-up blood and grime was scrubbed from her hands and feet, and her nails were trimmed to perfection. Ajay couldn’t help a smirk at Renee’s blush as she was given a coat of deep purple nail polish. Touch and beauty weren't her things, though Ajay did think to herself a little attention went a long way for her. She made a mental note to keep on Renee about taking care of herself. Natalie was all over it, rattling of chemical formulas and spending all the time in the world finding colors she loved, settling on light blues. Even Anita was in to it, dropping her usual military stoicism for quiet contentment and appreciation. 

While Ajay’s hair got some much-needed attention and a redye (this time to a bright pink), Anita and Loba opted for a wax. Tempting as it was, Ajay passed and Renee was having nothing to do with it. She stayed with Ajay and requested just a simple haircut. Loba did eventually talk Natalie into the waxing. Thankfully, the three who did go seemed very happy with themselves. Beautification ended with a face mask that left her skin feeling better than it ever had. 

Right before the massage, Renee had dipped out. She’d had her fill of touching for the day. Admittedly, it was sad to see her go, Ajay enjoyed her quiet company and was glad she’d finally taken up some self-care. The other girls had stuck around at least and boy was this needed. 

“You know, we offer a subscription. Two massages a month, only 160.” Her masseuse worked out a major tight spot in her lower back. Ajay hummed with relief, that sounded so nice. “Hot rocks?”

“Jus' give me the whole package.” She mumbled into the towel. 

As the warm stones relaxed her muscles even further, a content smile crossed her face. This was the kind of healing she needed, just some quality time being pampered. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always feedback is appreciated


	10. Day 9: Weapon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Singh records his thoughts on cementing his place in history.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based Singh off his very manic personality in the Voidwalker short, kind of a mad scientist with plenty of ego. I kind of hope we get a resolution to that story, personally holding out for Voidwalker coming back but as an antagonist.

Personal log of Dr. Amer Singh number, oh what is this, 127? Doop, doop, doo, last one was...yup! Number 127!

Right, so. Weapons. We’ve had them since before we had a history, war _is_ human nature after all. From the thrown rocks of our ancient ancestors to spears and atlatls that were joined by swords and bows, weapons are our greatest advances. The forging and alloying of metal is one of man's oldest achievements and it was done in service of war. Our chariots and aircraft found use outside of combat, but it was in the fires of war that their technology was forged. 

Behold gunpowder, a simple mixture in three parts that changed the world. In a few centuries, firearms evolved from crude matchlock contraptions more likely to fail than kill, to self-loading rifles that could kill a man at 1200 meters. Of course, came the machine gun, personal high explosive weapons, and directed energy. And that’s just what a man can hold. Tanks, aircraft, missiles that reach between planets, all of it in service of our greatest game. Out weapon makers are our best and brightest. The IMC, a company built on weapons, now controls half the galaxy. I am honored to be a part of man's greatest race. 

What I plan to do here is mix a new gunpowder, or split another atom, or or or harness a new plasma! The Wraith Program will work, and I will have created the perfect weapon. Ugh, it's just so cool!

Imagine it, a soldier who can see the future, who can’t be hit, who can bend reality to his will. ARES wants robots and simulacra, but nothing can replace a human on the battlefield. Their simulacra are unstable aberrations or science and their robots bore me. My wraiths will clear Militia battalions with efficacy we haven’t seen since machineguns met cavalry! 

It will be beautiful, and it will be my name in the books. Next to the pioneers like Alfred Noble, Robert Oppenheimer, Hiram Maxim, or Misa Turrel, among the giants of industry; Degtyaryov, Browning, Braton. 

The multiverse will be my battleground. An infinite army... Think of it. It’s beautiful. Loss would be an impossibility, and the empire I help to build will reign for all time...

Now, if my prototypes would cease dying, this might be more than a dream. I need to find someone who can withstand the quantum tearing and cognitive aberration of fold energy, or “void” as my senior researchers have taken to calling it. That is a dumb name, mark my words, "Singh's Laws of Fold" will be taught in science classes! Maybe one of _them_ might be a good subject, but, which one? I’d rather not lose one of the clever and they all know what happens, so it won’t be an easy sell. 

Wright might bite, Blasey is wide-eyed enough, what about Calister, they're terribly clever. Hmm, too bad I never grabbed Luc's girl, she'd be a good choice even if she is a bit young. See, I'd do it myself of course, but should anything go wrong, my loss would ruin the entire project.

Eh, I’ll figure this out, after all, it is my destiny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize this falls into the trope of "the great poets; Shakespeare, E A Poe, Glibglob of Plazo 7" but I'm not sure of what another solution is. 
> 
> Anyways, as always, feedback is welcomed and encouraged.


	11. Day 10: Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young Loba plays a game of theft with her parents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to think despite her parent's lifestyle, Loba had a happy childhood, otherwise, she wouldn't be so intent on revenge.

A young Loba ran through her lavish home, her white dress fluttering with her thudding footfalls. Her face was alive with an excited smile. Not far behind was her mother, pretending to chase her, vowing to catch the little thief. But Loba thought she was faster and ran for the second floor. However, her father was waiting in ambush and she ran right into his arms. 

“Gotcha!” He cried and lifted her into the air.  Loba laughed and squirmed, but it was no use, she’d been caught. 

“No fair!” She protested. 

“Welcome to my life, you’ll get used to it. And sometimes you get to play unfair.” Her father hugged her tight. “Mommy is going to interrogate you now, daddy has to talk with some friends, ok?” 

Loba was handed off to her mother while he left, but not before he kissed her forehead. A giggle worked its way out while she tried again to escape. 

“So my little thief, did you take mama’s necklace?” She could easily see the elaborate braided gold strands around her daughters neck, but now was a teaching moment about when to tell the truth, when you were truly caught. 

“No, it’s still there, go and look!” Alanza smiled. There was indeed still a necklace there, an amateurish replica made of yellow yarn, but her daughter was learning well. Ironically, she may not have noticed if the yarn wasn’t in her jewelry box. When she'd discovered the theft, she's paused for a moment to admire the necklace. In her eyes, it was a beautiful gift, something even more worthy of wearing than the gold. 

“Is that so? And that is this then?” She traced the necklace on Loba’s neck. It looked good on her, granted it was a stunning treasure in its own right, but Alanza could see the beautiful woman Loba would grow into. She reminded her of a younger version of herself, though Loba was far more clever and playful. 

“This is mine.” Loba clutched the necklace, her face betraying very little deception. Inside, Alanza was swelling with pride, but to Loba, she was still on to her. 

“Oh, and where did you get such a fine necklace? I didn’t know you could afford it?” She tapped her daughter on the tip of the nose. The modest allowance Loba got was mostly spent on books of all things. Her daughter loved to read and Alanza took every chance to indulge her. They spent long nights following the stories of brave heroines in fantastical worlds until little Loba was passed out on the bed. 

“I bought it from the mall, I saved up all my allowance. Promise, that’s the truth!” Loba knew just as well that this was a game. If she really wanted the necklace, she would have asked her mother for it and it would have been hers. Alanza looked away and pretended to consider for a moment as Loba continued to fidget in her arms. 

“Well, you’ve convinced me my little Loba. Come to my room, I have a bracelet that will go wonderfully with it.” She lifted her onto her shoulders and grabbed her small ankles. “You’re a faster learner Loba, Mommy is very proud of you.” She kissed her single shoe, the other nowhere to be found. 

“Thanks, mommy. Do you want it back?” She hugged her mom's head. 

“No, I think it looks better on you. You can wear it tonight, daddy has a very important meeting at a fancy restaurant and his friend also has a daughter. I think you two will like each other.” Alanza smiled, one of the few things Loba lacked was a friend her age, an unfortunate by-product of her parent's line of work. Hopefully, tonight would introduce her to someone with parents that lead the same life. 

* * *

Loba’s perfectly manicured fingers traced over the chipped and scratched gold choker. It had once been a full necklace, but over time it had been worn down and battle damage. She didn’t dare replace any parts of it, this was her greatest treasure and far more valuable in its original state. 

_“Just tell them the truth they want to hear.”_ She let out a full breath. Beyond this set of doors was a room of very unhappy Syndicate executives, all she had to do was convince them she hadn’t done a thing. Mentally, she came up with the perfect combination of denial, admission, and misleading. Skulltown was a loss to them, sure, but her fan base would net them more than enough money. And this wasn't at all about Revenant, it was about the secrets and lies of the Syndicate. People like them could respect a thief, not someone trying to kill one of their biggest moneymakers. 

“Thanks, mama.” She whispered and looked up to the sky and pushed through the doors. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, feedback is welcomed and appreciated


	12. Day 12: Shield

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caustic cannot find a body shield or peace and quiet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Never forget, Caustic is a dangerous psychopath with a long history of violence and who manipulates people to his own ends, he is not a big softie.

This is a most unfortunate situation. My preferred partner for this duos mode, Revenant, was indisposed this morning. He indicated he was partaking in some, extracurricular work. A pity, I would have liked to have joined him. Against my better judgment, I allowed for a random selection of my squadmate. My luck continues to dissapoint. Octane is of both inferior intelligence and judgment. His every word grates on me and unlike Witt, his abilities are of little tactical value to me. 

Thus far he has insisted on rushing into every echo of gunfire with disastrous results. I have only revived him for the standing and to have an extra gun on hand. Perhaps this would be less of a problem if I had yet found a body shield. Probability dictates that a match where I find none is possible however unlikely. Silva could be a workable meat shield if he would stand still during a fight. Instead he insists on bouncing around like a child and sprinting from cover at every moment. And alas, every body shield I recover from the dead has been broken and Silva had claimed every shield cell he can find. He consumes them faster than his stims. 

He’s currently charging yet another unnecessary fight while an airstrike rains down upon us. I am able to find shelter in a building, but Silva continues his attack. As soon as the bombardment ceases, I emerge. Though I can see through my gas, the dust and smoke in impenetrable. Near by I spot the faint glow of Gibraltar’s dome shield and can hear his grunts of effort. My clearing the smoke coincides with Silva’s demise at the hands of Gibraltar’s club. Both he and Williams are distracted by the multitude of death boxes nearby. A net positive result

I raise my peacekeeper and fire. She falls to the ground and I cringe at the sound of breaking armor. My attack is recognized by her partner and I dive away from his thermite grenade. Though singed, I am alive. My own frag joins Gibraltar’s slew of ordinance, however, only resulting in Williams’s elimination. New kill leader, a title I enjoy though it is hollow now, so little research has been done, all my kills have been merely with firearms. The bunker door slams and I smile. Gibraltar has made a grave miscalculation. 

His arm and dome shield won’t save him now. Inside I can hear the whine of a shield battery, how serendipitous. The antechamber he’s hidden in is easy enough to locate for someone as brilliant as myself. While he continues to heal with a Medkit, I toss my gas grenade in. For quicker results, I slide a trap inside and close the door. Another trap outside ensures he cannot escape. Despite his desperate pounding on the door, he is granted no escape. His coughs become more hacking, though his reaction is still slowed. Interesting. Perhaps his lung capacity is saving him, or is it merely his size? Further experimentation is required. The lack of large subjects is unsatisfactory, though comparisons of my smaller colleagues could prove fruitful. 

The man's massive hulk collapses on the floor, but I wait. Che at one point feigned her demise only to ambush me with a pistol as I came closer. That was not an encounter she survived, but it is a lesson I have taken to heart. My kill is announced and I open the door. 

Inside his death box is a precious level four shield. I don it just as Silva’s banner card expires, hardly a loss. And with but two squads between myself and victory, I’m sure I will manage. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, feedback is welcomed.


	13. Day 12: Ruins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Natalie Paquette is searching for ancient ruins, she finds something far more inciting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Darksparks again, because damn were the Lost Treasures skins great. To look at not play as, Marble Goddess is too visible.
> 
> Tiny bit of Bango x Lifeline because that's cute too and the Pirate Queen skin is slick too.

Mediterranean Sea, 1908

The company of pirates and mercenaries was not the kind Dr. Natalie Paquette had expected to keep, but if it got her to her goals, then so be it. At least Captain Che was well mannered and bathed, more than could be said for much of her crew. She'd housed Natalie in her personal quarters during the two-day voyage to the alleged ruins. Νησί των φαντασμάτων literally translated as "Island of Ghosts" but was more accurately "Island of the Lost Soul." Ominous, but it promised untold secrets and truths in the ruins of whatever had once been there. If her ancient texts were to be believed, it was once an elaborate temple complex to a local goddess. 

One of the pirates called out an island and Captain Che grabbed the spyglass to confirm. This was indeed their place. She claimed to have hidden her own treasures here, far away from the ruins. In exchange for the location of the temple, neither Natalie nor her bodyguard Sgt. Williams would reveal its location and pay Che handsomely. 

"Hey!" Williams blurted out after Che gave her a final tap on the butt and a wink. Natalie had her suspicions about those two, but her mind was taken over by what was before her. 

She could see slivers of it through the brush. Once through, Natalie then Willaims audibly gasped. Toppled columns of marble and massive stones still stood in their silent vigil. Vines and moss crept all over, and many bore the signs of their thousands of years of rest. In the center was an elevated platform, untouched by nature and seeming to glow white. Surrounded by columns was a figure, gold shimmering in the midday sun. 

It was real. Among these ruins, that must have been the goddess. Natalie was transfixed. She walked towards her almost without willing her legs to move, just drinking in the details as she got closer. The goddess was beautiful, her face carved in powerful features and framed with gold. Strangely her eyes were closed. Her armor was in immaculate condition and her stone flesh was rendered in such detail it almost looked real. Natalie could see the subtle veins and pores, her fingers graced the marble, but found it only cold. Who was this goddess? Cold slipped through her but there was no breeze. Her hand recoiled, she swore the skin below twitched. 

"She's so beautiful...I would have loved to have seen her in life." Natalie whispered.

Williams had set her rifle down while she poked around. There was no danger here, just discoveries to catalog. They'd have to return with a full team and comb the site for months, no, years! The papers that could be published, and books that could be written! Natalie swelled at the thought.

 _Take me with you_ It was almost like a voice, not a thought whispered in her brain. 

"I think we should take her back, a statue like this is too valuable to leave behind." Natalie called out. Williams gave a thumbs up and continued to explore. 

Natalie turned and found the statue's golden eyes open. She swore they'd been closed a moment ago. Probably just caught up in her excitement. Again she grasped the statue, feeling her cool, glittering hand in hers. What was it about her? It triggered something in her, a ghost of a memory. Like the ruins themselves, the thought was scattered and tangled but still very much there. 

_Thank you. We are together again my spitha. I've waited for you._

The thought sent a feeling up her spine. A shiver at first, and then comfort, like she'd just come home for the first time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, feedback is welcomed.


	14. Day 13: Hero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Octane is bored and goes to find trouble. What he gets is an opportunity to be a hero

Unlike Solace, Talos was lacking major cities as a source of excitement. There were a few scattered towns and some more prosperous ones now that Apex Games were there, but nothing like Solace City. And Octane was bored out of his mind. There was nothing to do here. Che was on about hikes and mountain climbing but that was just so slow. Two hours to cover a mile? Hell no!

He must have run a thousand laps around the complex the Games had set up, but that was old already. Even his jump pads could only occupy his mind for so long. He put his controller down after now growing bored of video games and made a loud groan.

“We’ve all given you suggestions, you just don’t want to listen.” Crypto growled, not looking up from his own screen. Octane groaned again.

“Come on brudda, there’s a million things to do on Talos. Blooth will be back in an hour, just ask them for some local flavor.” Gibraltar said with a laugh.

The idea of enduring Bloodhound's brand of fun was almost worse than spending a day hiking with Che. He was sure that their idea of fun was sitting in the woods for ten hours and talking about the old gods, not fun, just boring. With a third groan, Octane trudged outside.

He stimmed and sprinted aimlessly, just wherever his heart took him. At least Talos was scenic. Octane bolted past mountains that clawed at the cool blue sky, past volcanos dormant for centuries, through forests left undisturbed since the first seed fell. But out of the corner of his eye, he saw a shimmering orange glow and then he smelled it, smoke. He’d heard Blooth talk about the massive bonfires his people used to celebrate around. A leap over one of those would be a hell of stunt, not quite a ring of fire, but still awesome.

As he got closer he could hear the blaring music and the excited screams of the crowd. But then he realized that wasn’t it. Sirens and screams of terror.  Octane sprinted in to find a warehouse engulfed in towering flames, responders and survivors stood far back from the searing heat.

“We’ve still got one missing, we have to get someone in there!” A soot-covered man cried.

“Sir, we’re doing everything we can but this fire is not under control. There’s a lot of toxins in there, my guys would have ten minutes at a time, tops.” A firefighter said.

That might have been true of her people, but nothing could stop the Octrain!

Without saying anything, he bolted in, using a jump pad to vault himself through a smoking hole in the side of the building. A few people shouted, but he was already too far along. His mask and goggles would give him some endurance but already the heat and smoke were stifling. Over the roar of the fire, he heard a faint cry.

Octane stabbed in a stim, letting the rush in his veins carry him towards the voice so fast the flames couldn’t touch him. A man was pinned under what was left of a steel column. Though fit, Octane was far from the strength of Gibby or Bangs, but he had an idea.

“Compadre, lift as much as you can, I’m getting you out of here!”

Though confused, the trapped man pushed against the beam with all the strength he had left. It came up just a few inches but it was enough. Octane slid his jump pad under the elevated end and when the man let go, the beam ricocheted back over its end and slammed on the ground. Running on adrenaline and stims, he lifted the wounded man in his arms.

His eyes watered and his lumps grew tired. The heat was getting to him too, burning at the interface of his metal legs. But he pushed on, taking the jump pad out of the burning warehouse and landing right in the midst of firefighters and medics. They descended on their newfound patients just as Octane passed out.

“Silva, I swear I’m gon kill ya if ya don’t beat me to it.” Ajay sighed. The moment she heard he’d been at the scene, she’d rushed to the hospital to make sure he was alright. Aside from some minor burns and a bit of smoke inhalation, he was.

“Come on Che, that was awesome! Did you see the news? They’re calling me a hero!” If she had put his legs back on, he would have been long gone to enjoy his new title. He suspected she'd confiscated them for that purpose. 

“An I’m callin ya an idiot! Ya could’ve been killed Silva, next time ya bored I’m makin ya read a book!” She let out a long breath. “I’m glad ya ok, don know what I’d do if I lost ya.”

She rested her hand on his shoulder, as close to a hug as she’d give him.

“Thanks Che, maybe I’ll take you up on that hike, but I might go just a bit faster than you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, feedback is welcomed


	15. Day 14: Rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lifeline coaxes Wraith to girls night and then to finally get some rest.

Girls night (or more accurately no boys night since Blooth was invited) was going well. Blooth had declined, but the other wild card, Wraith, did show much to Ajay’s surprise. And she was glad she came, the woman needed more socialization. With Anita and Natalie, the group spent the night just having good fun snacking, chatting, and watching movies. There was of course a disproportionate amount of alcohol and snacks, the lions share from Anita and Natalie. Wraith had baked cookies; shock of the night number two. The cookies were a little over-baked and probably could have used more flour, but Ajay conspicuously ate them when Wraith was around. She’d seen how timid she was about them and the proud look on her face when Natalie complimented her baking. Ajay's compliments even cracked the faintest hint of a smile on her stoic face. 

During the night's last movie, Ajay sat on the floor, leaning her back on the couch. Natalie was out like a light taking up the entire couch and no one dared wake her. She’d laid down as a joke, but in moments the booze and food hit her and put her to sleep. Anita was nodding off in Ajay’s armchair, still nursing her beer. Wraith liad back next to Ajay, both of them wrapped in a blanket and with plenty of pillows. 

“Ya should rest Wraith, been a long night.” It was almost eleven, past when Ajay usually called it on her off days, even when fully sober. 

“There’s still half the movie left and I’m not gonna leave you with all the dishes.” As closed off as she was, Ajay always thought Wraith was sweet. She was always the first to offer a hand and made sure no one felt left out, even if starting a conversation made her uncomfortable. What Ajay was to her was hard to pin down, but she hoped Wraith would call her a friend. 

“Don’t worry ‘bout a thing. We’ll trash ya place next time, sound good?” Ajay gave Wraith a playful smile and got what she took as Wraith's version of a smile back. Emoting wasn’t something Wraith did often and when she did it was small, subtle gestures like that. 

Ajay could see the glassy shimmer in Wraith’s eyes. The voices were giving her trouble again. They’d talked about that a lot. She was just about the only doctor Wraith trusted enough to be candid about both her powers and problems. Sleep was high up on the latter list, but one didn’t need six years of medical training to see that. All one had to see were the dark circles around her eyes and how she trudged around like she was running on empty. 

“Come on Wraith, get comfy.” She slipped a pillow behind her back and saw her shoulders relax. 

Ajay started to half hum, half sing a song her auntie had used to lull her to sleep when she was a little girl. It was traditional to Psamathe, and when translated, told the story of a young woman who went out finishing only to find peace in nature. It was a slow, sweeping tune that always reminded Ajay of a softly flowing river. It carried her to sleep night after night until she could just hum it to herself and be out. 

Wraith's eyes started to droop and Ajay got daring. She pulled Wraith into her lap and held onto her, just as her auntie had once done. Rather than fight the contact, Wraith became more lethargic. She made her own hums and mumbles of rest while Ajay started to pet her head. 

_“But in the woods did she find, not but solace of her mind. Mountains ancient far ascend, pierce the darkened skies of night. Rivers flowing they do bend, stretch far beyond all sight.”_ Ajay sang low in the language Wraith didn't understand. 

Wraith shifted on more time before her eyes closed. All the tension in her body let go and she became a dead weight in Ajay’s lap. A few more verses ensured she was fast asleep. A smile crossed her face again. She’d made the first step in helping Wraith. Now it was time for her own rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Loosely inspired by this piece of art: https://sketchhungry.tumblr.com/image/183849783645
> 
> As always, feedback is appreciated


	16. Day 15: Skull

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bloodhound goes on a hunt and contemplates their kill
> 
> [Contains depictions of hunting and cleaning a carcass, though non-graphic]
> 
> ~~Day 15, give it up for day 15!~~

There were those who objected to Bloodhound's hunts and to their taking of trophies. Even they had reservations at times about taking a life, no matter how non-human.  The others were entitled to believe what they did, they would take the same privilege.  But they saw the hunt as the truest form of admiration, almost a prayer to the prey. To take a life on equal terms and to truly track an animal was to know it better than most friends. Bloodhound always took their main excursions solo, few understood their methods and most would inadvertently disrupt the ceremony of the hunt. 

Today’s hunt had been no different than any other, a relatively easy prey; a Kloza buck. Kloza were herbivores but not to be underestimated. They fought off predators with fearsome ferocity and two sets of reinforced horns. And they were fast. Even at the size of a Labrador, they could hit seventy kilometers per hour through dense Talos forests. Blooth had stalked their quarry for days, a mature male just past his prime. His dusty orange coat had distinct blue speckled where each of his six limbs connected, a sign of his age. This was a King of his herd, undoubtedly the father of many Kloza in these woods. However, with the extinction of their main predators, Manfurids, it fell upon hunters to vacate the throne for a younger prince to rise lest this King hold it until he withered and his herd perished. To hunt the bucks was to save the species until the Manfurids returned. 

His reign came to an end in a clearing. A single well-aimed shot painlessly laid him on the soil. In that moment, there was nothing in the world except hunter and prey. Blooth watched the final moment of the King, elegant in his poise, and still regal in his command. His life was taken in exchange for a promise of continued purpose. Blooth carried him home in their arms like a bride.

For days they cleaned their kill. Everything edible was set aside, fat would be reduced for lard, anything else would be converted to bait for their next hunt. Meat made for flavorful steaks, the organs could be made into rich stews. Gibraltar had dibs on this hunt's haul. But the Kloza’s skull would receive a different treatment. A king like this deserved a lasting throne. 

After more cleaning, Blooth held the skull and started into the empty orbits. Everything this creature had once been had resided in this thin vessel of bone. What did he know? Did he have a name, an idea of himself? Or was he truly just an animal who lived on instinct? In the eyes of the Gods and Blooth, the answer did not matter. This Kloza was a creation of the Gods, something put here for a purpose. He met his fate at the hands of another creation of the Gods, one who appreciated their purpose. 

“You walked with honor and with grace, the Gods bless you in your death. Farewell, my king.” They said and bowed to the skull. 

Bloodhound mounted the king among his other trophies, skulls of the creatures the Gods had put in his path and who’s lives he had ceased. It was a place of honor where Bloodhound could see the magnificent breadth of life that there was in the system and bask in the glory of all the Gods had made. This was the hunt, a prayer to the prey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited to fix some pronoun slip ups. 
> 
> As always, feedback is appreciated


	17. Day 16: Growth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loba steals something, but this time she has a change of heart

Come on, can’t your voices give me a hint?!”

Anita was going mad tearing through her room. Cushions were stacked in a corner, all her drawers had been searched (she'd made sure _certain_ _people_ were not around when her underwear drawer was checked), and she'd started to go through all her cabinets. Somewhere her watch was hiding. It wasn’t that valuable in its own right, there was no gold face or jewels embedded in it, but it was sentimentally priceless. The watch was her father's originally, a gift to her for graduating the IMC Military Academy, fifth in her class. For the record, Jackie was second best at fifteenth. 

“Doesn’t always work like that. If I could get them to tell me what I wanted, I wouldn’t be here.” Wraith sighed and put the small flashlight back in her mouth. 

The watch was somewhere and come hell or high water, she was finding it. Ajay had volunteered to search the medbay and Natalie was rigging together a metal detector with Crypto. Even Elliot was helping, though he wasn’t the best at it, she appreciated the thought. She appreciated all of them, her friends put down their own busy lives to help her find a stupid watch. It was almost funny the same woman she’d put three shotgun shells into yesterday was under her couch with a flashlight looking for a ninety credit watch.

Maybe she’d be more thankful and less tense if it was back on her wrist. The horrible thought of having lost it in the Arena kept floating through her head. It was one of the few things she had left of her family and all she had left of her Dad. She needed to find it.

* * *

Loba rolled the weighty steel watch in her hand. It was solid, well-timed, but rather drab. The shape was good enough, it could pair nicely with some of her outfits. For a small fee, she could have it plated in a precious metal of her choice and engraved with whatever scene her heart desired, that would make it truly lovely. Swiping it from the solider had been disappointingly easy. Flirt at the bar, give her a nice view and a few drinks, and it was off her wrist and in Loba’s pocket.

But now, it just didn’t have an appeal. She’d only wanted it because it wasn’t hers after all. And she too had received the texts about it. Anita was in mission mode to find it. Most of the others had volunteered their services to find the thing, but unless one of them walked in on Loba, none of them would be any help. She heard a few more messages go through.

_ >(General) No luck at my place. I'll give whoever finds it two hundred.  _

_ >(General) Blood? Anything you can do? _

_ >(Hunter) Nothing has revealed itself to me, but I will continue my search. Makoa has enlisted Silva to sweep the gymnasium _

_ >(Sparky) I am not doing well either, Crypto's drone can't carry the weight, so we'll have to cut down on the range. Are you sure you can't remember the material??? _

_ >(Ghost) Nat, it's copper. Tritium hands. Maybe you could do a calibrated beta-particle sweep as well? Cross-check the copper hits? _

_ >(Sparks) Oui! That is a great idea, thank you Wraith! You are very clever _

_ >(Clown boy) Wait, how'd she know that? _

_ >(Ghost) I'm observant _

_ >(Fast one) Oh, they used to be a thing! You know that right? Bangs used to live above me, she's not quiet. You know...when she "bangs"... _

_ >(Ghost) Another word from you and you'll need new arms too _

_ >(General) Stay on mission ladies _

_ >(General) And Silva, we need to chat later about your mouth _

Loba rolled her eyes. These people, no class or taste, just fools without refinement. Still, she was having fourth thoughts on the watch. It just wasn't fun this time, there wasn't the thrill of almost being caught or the high of coming into something valuable. It was just a simple watch, the kind of thing a street pickpocket might take to cash in for a handful of credits. That was beneath her.

That's what she told herself. This had nothing to do with the solider girl or any feelings that may have crossed Loba's mind for a fleeting second. It wasn't about the pleading look in her eyes when she'd point-blank asked if she'd stolen it this morning. These people were not her friends and the sure as hell weren't her family. 

_ >(General) I think we need to give this a rest. I screwed up and lost it somewhere. Sorry for wasting everyone's time. It was kind of you all to help me with this, drinks on me tonight?  _

_ >(General) And ONE ROUND, looking at you Makoa! _

Loba chuckled. She remembered that night, the man could hold his liquor that was for sure. Poor Wattson had to be carried home by Wraith and Bloodhound and Lifeline just slept in a booth for the night. Anita had kept vigil over her helped Mirage clean up while Loba sipped her last drink of the night. They shared a few words and moments. Anita was quick-witted and dangerously sharp, she could keep even Loba on her toes. She sighed and pocketed the watch.

* * *

"You just found it?" Anita raised an eyebrow when Loba plopped the watch into her hands. For obvious reasons, she was suspicious, but Loba was as good a liar as she was a thief. 

"On the path to the outdoor track, I just thought someone had thrown it away. Do you really think I'd steal something as pedestrian as this?" Loba let her voice get a bit flirty, one of the few things that could throw Anita off her game was a beautiful woman, and Loba fit that description quite well.

"Yeah, I do high heals. Whatever, here's your cash, not that you need it." Anita paused a moment. "Thank you, this means a lot to me. Thanks for giving it back." She gave Loba a knowing look and a clap on her arm. 

As Anita shut the door to her apartment, Loba let a smile cross her face. Inside her was a tingly feeling she hadn't felt since she was a little girl. Whether that was a crush or altruism, only time would tell. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TED talk time: fandom has an unhealthy obsession with enemies to the lovers to the point that openly hostile relationships are viewed as ship fodder and toxic traits are romanticized. I don't think the Apex ships hit this territory (except Rev/Loba which is just its own thing), but still, mini-rant over. Loba-Lore (if that's what its called) kind of makes sense, but I'm like 60/40 on it. 
> 
> As always, feedback is appreciated


	18. Day 17: Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young Renee Blasey watches her home die

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for Titanfall 2 I guess. 
> 
> Definitely not a lighthearted one, effectively my HC for why Wraith would volunteer for the Void stuff. I'm kind of guestimating the timeline, but she was between 10-15 when Typhon was destroyed, so old enough to remember. Even when I played that mission in Titanfall 2 I was a little shocked that you just destroy a planet, presumably inhabited by millions of people. Just felt a bit odd no one commented on it.

Today was Renee’s fifth day of being fifteen and it was finally the weekend. At her off-world prep school, even the weekends afforded little time to celebrate and unwind, but she and her friends had come up with enough of a plan. To say she was excited was an understatement, this was a big birthday in her young life and her crush was going to be there. Renee had finally worked up the nerves to make a move. Her phone rang and she saw it was her dad calling, probably just checking on her, he worried too much.

“Hey, Dad, what’s up?” She asked casually as she folded some shorts.

“Renee, sweetie, something is happening at home. Your mom and I are heading to evacuation shuttles right now, we grabbed what we could, I think it’s going to be alright.” His shaking voice said otherwise. In the background, she heard the hum of their truck's engine clearly moving at high speed. The radio was broadcasting a planet-wide emergency alert she only caught pieces of. 

“Dad?! What’s happening? Where’s mom?” Renee's hands felt numb and her head started to spin. 

“She’s right here with me.  _Hi sweetheart talk with dad, ok, I’m driving._ There’s a battle above us, and more ships keep jumping in. The military says they can fight it off, but were just being safe.” Her father was many things, a good liar was not one. He was hiding something he knew. 

Renee switched on the TV, the news broadcast was on every channel. Dozens of capital ships engaged each other in orbit and the distinct streaks of titanfall tore through the atmosphere. The reporter was barely audible over the sirens and screams. The remote clattered to the floor as Renee went limp with shock. So far Typhon had been safe from the war, but now it was right in her back yard. 

“Renee, no matter what happens, we are so proud of you. You’re a smart and kind girl, Renee, no one can take that from you.  We love you, sweetheart, you have no idea how happy I am that you’re following your dreams! _H_ _e’s right. Renee, please stay safe._ ” He parents tried to assure her over the phone, but the horrible reality was setting in. 

“No! Dad, you’re going to be fine! The army can fight them off!” Tears rolled down her face and she watched an IMC cruiser disintegrate on reentry.

The phone was silent. They definitely knew something she didn’t.

“Sparky, I know I was rough on you, and I should have been around more. You grew up so fast, one day you were just a baby in your mom's arms and then you were all grown up, going off to school to change the galaxy. You’re smarter than I ever was and Renee, you are so compassionate. All you ever do is help people just because it’s right. Your mother and I couldn’t have asked for a better daughter.” Her father's voice was barely a whisper, the kind he saved for when she needed him most. In her life, he'd been a rock, and island of calm in the storm of growing up. But now he was shaky ground too, for once he was unsure. And that terrified Renee.

“Hey sweetheart, it’s mommy. We’re almost at the shuttle, but if anything happens-“

“Nothing bad is gonna happen!” Renee cried. Tears welled in her eyes as the broadcast became more desperate. 

“Please take care of yourself, Renee, auntie Misaki isn't far from your school, get to her if you can. Mommy loves you, Renee, you're always my little girl. You're going to do so many great things and I just know people are going to be cheering your name one day." 

Renee couldn't respond through her sobs. The scenes on the TV made her want to throw up, another IMC ship was torn in half, falling back to the planet in a flaming heap. Thousands had died already, so many of her friends had family in the Fleet, she knew some of those people. Her mother assuring they had just gotten to the shuttle was background noise to her. Renee just stood in stunned silence at the battle unfolding.

An orbital shot showed a blinding burst of light and then Renee felt her heart torn from her chest. Typhon’s surface shattered like rusted steel down to the core. Molten lava was exposed in miles deep craters and continent size shards of her home drifted into space. The shockwave buckled what little solid ground remained. There was nothing left by the ruins of a planet.

“D-daddy?” Her voice shook, almost inaudible.

There was only a drop tone.

Renee crumpled onto her floor and tried to make herself nothing. Tears and sobs turned into a guttural cry of agony. Her family, her friends, her home were gone, taken without even a chance to say goodbye. She couldn’t fight the horror she felt or the growing empty void in her heart.

* * *

"Blasey, we're ready to begin." Dr. Singh extended his hand towards a chair covered in straps and harnesses. Needles orbited it like sinister moons.

Renee fidgeted with the ring on her finger, a polished band made of the debris of Typhon. One way or another, she was going home. This was her chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always feedback is appreciated


	19. Day 18: Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pathfinder goes on his first jump

"One minute until drop, all Legends prepare for platform movement." The announcer's clear voice came through the intercom system.

A moment later the ground which Pathfinder stood on jerked and shuddered. The motion smoothed and he was standing in the open air. His atmospheric sensors detected high levels of humidity in the hot air, "soupy" as his squadmates had called it. King's Canyon was always soupy, though he didn't quite understand the saying, he'd never had any soup. But he could understand the blinding light reflecting off the rolling waves of water and sand, for those without his ability to filter light, it would be a challenge to see anything in the midday matches. 

"Heh, looks like I'm jumpmaster burddahs. Hey, Mirage, maybe we should let the new guy pick a place?" Gibraltar suggested. 

It was, after all, Pathfinder's first real match as a Legend after months of qualifiers. Those didn't have the drop, just a shuttle landing, an attempt to reduce accidental deaths by falls. Path had scored an impressive victory in Slum Lakes as kill leader, wielding his Longbow with devastating effect. But Mirage didn't seem to agree.

"I don't want to be first blood, sorry robot, but I need a good match today." Mirage was the one who had lead Pathfinder to the Apex Games and his tone said he was regretting that choice. Gibraltar made a sound of agreement and dropped a ping on Slum Lakes, exactly where Path had wanted to go anyways. 

"Fifteen seconds until drop, all Legends prepare for drop to begin." The announcer informed.

Everyone took their positions, Pathfinder to Gibraltar's right. He could feel the air rushing through his frame, cooling some of his systems. A curious face came up on his screen, the feeling was new, and in a way, pleasant. He bounced back and forth on the tips of his feet, too excited to even vocalize it. Gibraltar gave him a chuckle and a pat on the back, but Mirage still seemed unamused.

Squad after squad lept from the dropship, descending with colorful smoke trails into combat. Within seconds of the first squads making landfall in Skulltown, the pops and cracks of gunfire reached all the way up to the dropship and names started popping up on Pathfinder's HUD. A few hundred meters later, only four squads were left. Gibraltar laughed and then lept. 

Pathfinder was an instant behind. As he fell through the crystal blue sky of Solace, the wind rushed by and rattled his wiring. He had to filter the noise out of his auditory processors and the asymmetrical drag on his limbs made it hard for him to stay upright. His chest showed a massive grin. This was his ticket to find his creator, to show himself to the world, and also to just have fun. And this was a lot of fun.

Gibraltar's signature resonant laugh reached him and Path watched his massive body tug into a cannonball and roll through the air. Mirage was shooting off decoys and doing dances with himself, winking and finger gunning the cameras. 

"Look at me friends, I'm flying!" Path imitated the flapping of a bird and let the air rush past him. He saw why people used to just do this for fun.

When his jump pack activated and he landed gracefully on the ground, Pathfinder looked back up at the clear sky, the last of the smoke trails were dissipating. Inside, he was smiling, his first match was off to a great start.

"Longbow here!" Mirage announced. "Come on Path, I know you like this one."

And with his friends around, he knew it was going to be a good one no matter what. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always feedback is welcomed


	20. Day 19: Target

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revenant goes on a mission with Octane

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am realizing, I am two days behind, so I need to catch up. 
> 
> Back to these being lighthearted for a bit.

"I'm going to kill you." Revenant growled, his talon-like fingers wrapped around Silva's shoulders.

"Heh, not today _amigo,_ I've got the coupons." He fluttered a fistful of cutout scraps of paper in front of the simulacrum. If Revenant was capable of rolling his eyes, he would. 

It was Wattson's birthday, well the day before to be more accurate. Everyone was helping to set up a party for her and Anita who had taken charge of the operation, had assigned Revenant and Silva to the duty of procuring the plates and utensils. The former had vowed he would not be involved, but even he had a slight soft spot for her. She had fixed some of his battle damage in the past and didn't treat him with the same abject disgust as the others. 

He still wasn't going to the party, and he was not at all happy about being paired with Silva, but here he was in Space Target. These kinds of places were always odd to him, sanitary LED lights cast unnatural shadows on everything, and the lack of windows isolated them from time. The red accents suited him at least. 

Between Silva signing autographs and people begging Revenant for a death threat on camera, they hadn't done much in the last hour. In their cart were several bundles of napkins and boxes of plastic cutlery, though they still had to get plates and cups.

"Get out of my way or I will eviscerate all of you!" Revenant shouted at a group of gathered fans.

The reaction was not what he had expected or wanted. They cheered with excitement and only swarmed closer to the pair. Revenant desperately wanted to make good on his threat, but even the Syndicate might get a bad taste in their mouth if a Legend slaughtered a dozen civilians. He looked to Silva for a solution. But he was posing for photos and handing out empty stim vials, Revenant hoped he'd cleaned them at least. 

Revenant made a sound of disgust and crawled up a shelf to the demands of staff that he get off. Technically, he obeyed and lept on to the ceiling. He scuttled to the registers and dropped a totem before heading back into the store. To continued demands that he return to the floor, Revenant crawled to the requisite aisle and dropped down, target in sight. Before he could be swarmed again, he snatched up the plates and cups. Silva seemed to get the idea and launched the cart off a jump pad. 

By now the employees were desperate for the pair to leave the store, and Revenant was happy to oblige. Cart in hand, he snapped back to the totem and thrust his items at a terrified cashier.

"Y-your to-total is fifty-two, I mean fifty-three ninety." He stuttered. 

Revenant dropped a handful of cash on the register, probably too much, but he wanted out. He turned his head just in time to see Silva sprinting away from a pair of very angry employees and a mob of fans, time to leave indeed. Both bolted from the store with their items and got to the car before they could be overwhelmed. 

"Never again." Revenant gritted. "And keep your damn coupons." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always feedback is appreciated!


	21. Day 20: Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a falling out, Mirage and Pathfinder have a heart to heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still behind on these mostly due to a brief bit of sickness (not Covid), but I figure the weekend will be a good time to.

No one had seen Pathfinder for a couple days, and now, people were getting worried. Most concerned of all was Mirage. Though he would deny everything, he was starting to feel like this was his fault. After a loss that he could pin on Pathfinder with a clear conscience, he'd had a shot too many at the Paradise Lounge and snapped at him. 

_"Just shut up! You're not my friend, you're a dead weight! Every single match you get distracted by a butterfly or something, and I end up paying for it!"_

His gut filled with lead the moment the words finished spewing from his lips, but the damage was done. Path slumped and his screen flipped to a frown. The robot shuffled away to go sit with himself and stare at his empty shot glass. Mirage and everyone else lost track of him after that, he'd left the bar without saying goodbye, disappearing into the night. 

By the time Gibraltar had realized Path was MIA, even Bloodhound couldn't pick up a trail. Everyone was doing their own small part, Crypto had hack up running searches and scans, Wraith was listening for any kind of warning, hell, Octane was sprinting labs around Solace City shouting for his robotic pal. But Mirage had a suspicion of where he was, and he was going there to confront him alone. 

There was a warehouse that Mirage had given Path an afternoon of training. Watching him try and compete was like watching a puppy try to fight a tank, and as much as the robot annoyed him, pitty stirred in his heart. 

_"Thank you, friend, thanks to you, I can fight good enough for my creator to notice me!"_ _He'd said and held his hand up for a high five, one he'd gotten_

Flashlight in hand, Mirage scanned the warehouse for any sign of Path. There was the clack of metal on concrete and the distinct whirs of his servos. Through the maze of stacked crates and barrels, Mirage was able to hone in on Path, finding him in an apparent cave made out of a few small crates stacked over each other.

"Oh, hello Elliot." His usual upbeat voice was low and dragged on the ground.

"Hey Path, buddy..." Mirage searched for the right words. "Wanna chat for a bit?" He offered his signature grin and an extended palm.

Path took a seat on one of the barrels and Mirage did the same. The screen in Path's chest displayed nothing by diagnostic data and his frame was bent over in a slump. 

"Path, I'm sorry about what I said at the lounge, I was drunk and I was upset." Mirage said with all the sincerity he could muster.

"Bangalore says people are most honest when they were drunk and when they are angry. You meant what you said Elliot." It burned him to hear those words come from Path's...mouth...? Regardless, he'd never openly considered Path a true friend, but he didn't _hate_ him, the robot just got on his nerves.

"Maybe that's true Path, but you didn't deserve that from me. You are always nice to people, even when you're having the worst day. People like you because you're you, there's not a lot of people like that Path." Mirage sighed and scratched the back of his head. "You don't have to forgive me buddy, but the others are worried about you. I got worried about you."

"You wouldn't have come looking for me if I wasn't your friend?" Pathfinder asked, perking up a little.

Mirage paced for a moment and strung together the words. He wanted this to track and he sure as hell didn't want to stumble through it.

"Path, you are my friend, and honestly, one of my best friends. You're there when I call my Mom, no one else gets that, and she adores you. You're always there for me and as much as you annoy me sometimes, you know how to make my day better. Come on my friend, lets get you home." He extended a hand.

Pathfinder grabbed it and pulled Mirage in for a hug. In spite of his almost bone-crushing strength, Mirage hugged the robot back. He was surprised to find Path was warm if a bit angular.

"Thank you, Elliot, I'm glad we're friends. Let's go back to your bar and have a good time again!"

The two left the warehouse smiling in their own ways. Mirage was starting to admit to himself that he couldn't live without this quirky little robot. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, feedback is appreciated


	22. Day 21: Scar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A late-night accident gives Wattson her's

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More or less my HC of how Wattson got her scar, one way or another she got it experimenting when she shouldn't have.

Midnight was not a time for sleep but for experimentation. Natalie was only seven, but her Papa had instilled a fascination with science and electricity most of all. But he had rules, ones that she was too young to understand, and rules she frequently defied. No matter his efforts, she found ways around his preventions and devised ways to avoid his watchful eye.

_“They are to keep you safe. I would be ruined if you were hurt mon bébé.”_ He would say in that rough yet tender voice. 

Natalie would nod and agree, but in the back of her head, she was plotting to rebel. 

Tonight was far from the first time she’d played with electricity in secret, but this was the most ambitious project yet. For weeks her Papa had tried to make their old holo-projector work again, but he’d found no luck. Over the past days, she’d accumulated components and equipment until now she had everything she needed. All of this had been conducted in secret, parts were stashed under her mattress and the prototype was concealed under a pile of Nessies in her closet. This was supposed to be a gift for his birthday in a month.

Once Natalie heard his door close, she knew it was only minutes until he was asleep, now as her time. She connected all the parts, stringing wires from the power cells to the prismatic oscillator and the Sinclair lenses. Her favorite home video, one of her Mama and Papa addressing their unborn daughter, was popped in. But when she pressed the button, nothing happened. There was no flicker of the hologram or even sounds of the cooling fans spinning up. 

Her attempts to troubleshoot were fruitless. With a huff, she decided the problem lay elsewhere. The projector was unplugged and she crept out of her room to the fuse box downstairs, there was fine too. There one more place to check. 

Natalie shined her flashlight on the cables that ran from their home's power cells and to the building. The cells too were in perfect condition. The access door to the power cells was locked, but Natalie’s hand was small enough to slip through a vent and pull the latch from the inside. It only took a few moments of batting her fingers around to find the latch and the door creaked open. 

“There you are!” She spotted the problem, one of the cells was misaligned, probably one of the minor quakes had disrupted it. 

Natalie reached for the cell. She didn’t remember anything but a blinding flash of light and what sounded like thunder directly in her ears. 

When she came too, she was curled in her Papa’s arms. His lips moved, but all she could hear was ringing. She wanted that horrid noise to atop, but she couldn’t will her limbs to move. He held her tight and kept saying something to her. Though she couldn’t hear it, she was screaming and crying, her arm felt like it was on fire and filled with broken glass. She pleaded for him to make it all better. 

* * *

“Are you mad at me Papa?” Natalie asked from her hospital bed a day later. Her entire left half was covered in bandages and gauze. It was sore but the IV had made it tolerable, and the ringing had finally subsided. The nurse was wonderful as well, giving Natalie yet another Nessie to cuddle and making sure her spirits were up with her own brand of medical puns. 

“Oui, you didn’t listen to me and I nearly lost you too.” He sat up and paced towards her. “But I’m happy you’re still here mon bébé. Just a few scars and hopefully a lesson learned?” His face wasn’t harsh nor was his voice. 

Natalie nodded her head and he leaned down to hug her. They shared the embrace for a while. Natalie felt warm tears filter through his beard on to her cheeks, he just whispered “I love you ma fille” in her ear. 

“I suppose there is no way I can stop your curiosity, so I will teach you how to ground power cells when you feel better. But do listen to your Papa. I may be just an old man, but I still know some things you don’t.” He said with a smile when their hug broke. 

“Okay Papa, thank you!” She tried to grin, but her face was still stiff. 

He ruffled her golden hair and kissed her forehead. Under the bandages he could see the branches of a Lichtenberg mark, he had a few of his own. Some the product of youthful ignorance and others from the complacency of old age. Hers was just another thing that made his brilliant daughter unique, he just hoped the world would see her as he did. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always feedback is appreciated.


	23. Day 22: Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gibraltar has a bad dream and talks it over with a fellow Legend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two in a day, go me! 
> 
> I like the idea of Gibby being pals with everyone. My friend and call Gibby, Wattson, and Path the friendship squad, and the three of them are all just fun to have on a squad.

Makoa rolled his massive frame out of bed, pivoting to sit on the edge. He rubbed his face in his hands, daring to glimpse his clock between his fingers. Almost two in the morning. Bad dreams had woken him once again tonight, and there seemed to be nothing to stop them. With a sigh, he stood up and pulled on a shirt, a workout might do him some good. There was no match tomorrow, or today rather, so he could just tire himself out and sleep into the late afternoon. 

Once his workout clothes were on, he decided it was best to jog to the gym to loosen up and warm-up. Despite his size, his footfalls were light, a trait he'd acquired learning to box with his Dad. That had been a time, his old man was as dangerous in his ring as Makoa was in _The_ _Ring_. The first time he'd beaten his old man remained one of his happiest memories.

 _"That's my boy! A true Gibraltar! Come here, lets get you a champions dinner!"_ He'd boomed and hugged like there was no tomorrow. 

Makoa rounded the last corner to the gym and heard grunts mixed in with impacts on something heavy. Either someone was working out or getting beaten down. Once through the door, he wasn't surprised. Wraith was kicking the hell out of a bag and based on the amount of sweat on her, she'd been here a while. She steadied the bag and turned towards him. Makoa figured the voices had given her a heads up.

"Morning Gibraltar. What brings you here so early?" In spite of his offers, she referred to everyone by their Legend name. He took it as a professional courtesy.

"Can't sleep, what about you sistah?" Though he wouldn't call them friends, she was always pleasant to him and they generally got on well. 

"Can't sleep. You didn't strike me as the bad dreams type." She rewrapped her ankles and readied herself to attack the bag again. "I always find taking out some aggression helps."

To proved her point she delivered a vicious roundhouse to the bag. Though Makoa was more interested in lifting weights, he didn't get much out of punching a bag that couldn't hit back, the challenge was what made a boxing match to him. 

"Want to talk about it?" Wraith again stopped the bag's swinging. 

Makoa paced closer and sat on one of the machines and offered her to sit on the weight bench. To his surprise, she took it. The two couldn't be more different physically, she was tiny compared to him, over a foot shorter and a fraction of his mass, but she was not to be underestimated hand to hand. The moonlight caught her pale skin in a way to make her moniker fitting, while the shadows only darkened Makoa's rich complexion. 

"It was about my Dad. Did I ever tell you about the mudslide?" Wraith shook her head. "Heh, the short of it is, I did something stupid. I took my Dad's bike for a joy ride and fate found me. A mudslide hit our village, killed a lot of people and trapped me and Nik. I was ready to die under that mud, but my family came to save us. The mud shifted and crushed my Dad's arm under a log, they had to cut it off to save him. The people who call me a hero never met my Dad..." His voice trailed off.

"I've met him and I'd still say you're pretty damn heroic." Wraith offered. Through her monotone, he picked up the shards of sincerity that she was capable of. 

"That's real kind of you sistah, thank you. But in my dream, we lost him. The mud just kept coming, burying him alive. I watched his eyes until he was nearly submerged. _This is your fault Makoa! You killed me!_ That's the last thing he said to me before he was swallowed up, like the earth was reclaiming him. My Mom cursed me and told me she hated me. I love them more than anything, and to hear those words from them, sistah that ate me alive." His voice shuddered at the memory of his nightmare.

In the real world, his father had given him a sit-down. For hours they'd talked about responsibility and what it meant to be a man. To his Dad, that word meant you were thoughtful, that you remembered others, and that you understood every action had a consequence. Makoa had broken into tears, and then his father delivered his final words of wisdom: _"Makoa, I love you. You're my boy and I'd give the world for you. No matter what happens, I'm right behind you. I know how much Nik means to you, just understand that you can't give him the world if you aren't around."_

"You regret the accident. Did you ever forgive your Dad for forgiving you?" Makoa was confused by her question. "You felt like you deserved his anger. You stole his bike and cost him an arm, most people would hate you for that. When he didn't, you felt unworthy. I've been there. Not as bad, but I said some things to Mirage he didn't deserve, but he just forgave me. Made me feel like the worst person to ever exist." She fiddled with the wrappings on her wrist and popped a few finger joints. 

"What did you do to feel better about it?" Makoa asked. He'd had these dreams for weeks, anything to make them stop would be a blessing.

"Forgive yourself for the screw-up, forgive your Dad for his kindness, and remember you deserve his love. You're a great person Makoa. People like you, Ajay, and Blooth give me hope that there's still enough good people out there to offset the bad." Her words came with that soft side he'd only ever heard a few talk about. Natalie and Elliot swore it existed, but until now he'd never had proof. 

"Thank you, Wraith. That means a lot coming from you." Though he wanted to, he resisted the urge to bear hug her. Touch was still iffy with her. "What about you, what was your bad dream?" 

"Oh the usual. Needles in my eyes, napalm in my veins, being in a cell alone. Old memories I try to forget, but the Void's like that sometimes." She said casually like it was a normal thing. "I've got issues." 

"You said it first sistah!" He laughed. "Tell you what, let's spar. We can talk more about our baggage once we've gotten to know each other, and nothing makes faster friends than a good match!" 

She gave a faint hint of a smile and vowed not to go easy on him. Makoa was sure she wouldn't, and he was looking forward to that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, feedback is appreciated.


	24. Day 23: Meal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the end of the season, so its time for a feast

“Pork choooooooops!” Mirage wooed and placed dozens of the freshly seasoned and seared chops into the oven. 

It was the end of the season and that called for a celebration with everyone. And that meant _everyone_. Gibraltar’s family had come to help with the massive cookout, they'd provided smokers, grills, and enough sides to feed an army. Some of Bloodhound's clan had made the trek, bringing with them a fresh haul of game and some traditional wines, even Loba and Path had guests. 

“No, it’s untill seared not till brunt!” Wraith hissed at Octane who had thus far not been performing to her standards. "Throw that raw chop at me and I will get stabby." Octane lowered the uncooked pork chop, looking almost disappointed.

Mirage didn’t mind, as long as everyone had food, everything was fine. He turned to see his mom and Gibraltar’s mom directing traffic with the side dishes. Those two had been inseparable from the moment they’d met, and watching her so lucid was the best he could have hoped for. She was her quippy and kindly self again, forcing a thank you even from Revenant. 

“Oh no! I added too much cinnamon!” Wattson was also trying her best to keep up with the demand for more chops. She and Loba were on seasoning duty despite Loba's complaints about getting various ingredients on her top. 

“Wattson, you’re doing great, keep it up. That one can be my chop.” Wraith assured. Mirage chuckled to himself, she had a soft spot for Wattson in the worst way. 

To their right, Gibraltar Sr. unveiled his steaming pots of rice. Their savory and spicy aroma wafted through the kitchen and made everyone just that much more hungry. His wife shuffled over, sniffed, and demanded more peppers. They were poured in and Mirage could see Lifeline looking on with enthusiasm. If there was one thing she loved, it was spicy food. For this feast, she’d come armed with her cargo pants full of hot sauce bottles and preserved peppers. She and Crypto would smother the chops in extra spice while Caustic would need cup after cup of water to suppress the moderate heat. 

* * *

“May I say a grace?” Bloodhound asked just as the final platter was put on the lengthy table. Everyone indicated their agreement. 

“We thank you for this meal in which we partake, that you have gifted us with the hands that prepared it. For the gift of friendship and family, we offer our most humble gratitudes. We only ask for your continued blessings this day, and that all those no longer in our world may share in the feast of Valhalla.” They nodded and a moment later, food was being shoveled on to plates.

Gibraltar and his Dad seemed to be in a contest to see who could down the most pork chops, to which the wife was berating them. Even the recluses like Crypto and Caustic had come, seeing the latter without his gas mask was creeping Mirage out more than he usually did. Hell, their resident non-eaters, Path and Rev were at the table sharing conversation with the others. He saw his mom had now engaged Wraith, and with her distracted, Wattson was stealing from her plate. Bloodhound had taken the lower part of their mask off, giving Mirage his first glimpse of their face, but more importantly, they were very satisfied with the meal. 

Elliot could not wipe the grin from his face. Everyone was here, together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, feedback is appreciated


	25. Day 24: Hobby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bangalore shows Lifeline her unexpected hobby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was this a chance for me to gush about model building and specific warships I think are cool? ...Maybe...

Everyone needed a hobby according to Ajay, and Anita’s happened to be rather unexpected. Everyone knew she had a sizable antique weapons collection and her match shooting was equally well known. The videos of her spreading match records had accumulated millions of views. Most of her fellow Legends assumed that’s where her hobbies ended, but she had one more way to keep herself busy.

“What’s this one?” Ajay pointed to one of her many ship models. This one was a long dark cylinder with a rectangular and boxy back, with a protruding structure at the front.

“ _USS Columbia_ , SSBN-827. It was a nuclear-powered submarine from the 2030s, What they used to call a "boomer". They carried nuclear weapons and sailed around in a circle waiting for the phone to ring.” She recited. “That one next to it is SSN-792, _USS Vermont_. That was a _Virginia-class_ fast attack boat, they were designed to be hunter-killers for other subs. Same era, they complimented each others roles, and above them are a few counterparts. _K-154 Tigr_ and _S30 Vigilant_. Love the old subs, not as flashy as the surface ships, but they got the job done.”

They’d already covered half a millennium of history with her ships, staring with ancient Triremes their dozens of oars, to _HMS Victory_ , and now they were passing through the 21st and 22nd centuries. Anita claimed to have a three hundred ship navy, and Ajay was inclined to believe her. Every one of her ships was rendered in the same 1:350 scale and meticulously hand-assembled and painted. Anita claimed each had taken anywhere from forty to hundreds of hours of work. Among her ships, there were also a small number of tanks, titans, and aircraft. 

The assembly room had smelled of wet paint and glue, the floor was covered in paint-splattered masking tape and tiny plastic sprues.  Her current endeavor was the _IMS Colimar_ , an IMC cruiser destroyed at the battle of Typhon. Since there was no kit of it, she’d been modifying a cruiser of an earlier class with her own printed parts and some custom decals. It was coming along nicely, but still needed days of work. Once complete, it would take its place alongside the _Hestia_ and _Amanez_. Ajay couldn't help but admire her almost fanatical devotion to detail and the stunning realism of the small scale recreations.

Her father had made model cars, a hobby she was not at all interested in. But Anita's ships were fascinating, she knew the history of each like she knew her guns, and that was saying something. And Anita was not running out of ships any time soon, there were boxes stacked in her closest of new projects spanning the full gamut of history and even broaching into fiction. _USS Sulaco_ and _Enterprise_ (not to be confused with the dozen other ships that shared its name) were the next in her queue. As long as she wore a mask when she painted or glued, Ajay was glad to let Anita continue her small scale arms race. 

"Never would'a pegged this one. These are cool 'Nita, chu should show 'em off." Ajay suggested.

"Are you kidding? Octane would be making whoosh noises with them in five seconds and Path wouldn't be far behind." She laughed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always feedback is welcomed


	26. Day 25: Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revenant experiences fear for the first time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: Awww, Wattson is soft little baby, she's just a ray of happy sunshine  
> Also me: Wattson participates in bloodsport, vaporizes people with electricity, and domed Bloodhound with a Kraber right after skipping in.
> 
> Wattson is an absolute wolf in sheep's clothing and she will make you pay for underestimating her.

I've made a mistake, I didn't kill the electrician first. 

I saw them trying to sneak into Harvester to heal, heh, easy prey. But the electrician's fences were strung up like razor wire and they knew better than to be near the windows. By then, my squad was dead. Not much of difference from the dead weight they were, but at least they could absorb some bullets for me. Even I have to plan a squad wipe carefully and with the drone and the voidling's annoying habit of knowing I'm there, this wouldn't be easy. 

The hacker made the first mistake, he went for the hop-up outside of cover. A sniper rifle isn't the most fun way to kill, but it gets the job done. He made lots of noise, perfect. As tempting as it was to make a painting with his brain, I needed him alive just for now, and his agony was delicious. Just like all the skinsuits, the voidling came out because of "compassion". I let her get just a hair away from saving him before I put her down, together they fell off the balcony and crunched on the floor below. 

I was fast. Tearing through the world as a shadow is a blessing. You feel untouchable like you're the god you are. To keep everything easy, I shut them up. He was first. One good slice stem to stern and it all spilled out. That smell of entrails brought back so many happy memories. Nothing special inside him, I had hoped for something exciting inside the wrapping. I could almost taste the blood, but I could smell the fear. The voidling's pathetic cries and whimpers were music. She called out for the electrician in vain.

"She's not coming girlie, the child is probably cowering in a corner. Against me, she's less than an _insect_." I growled at her.

"You underestimate her." I laughed at her attempt to intimidate me. I should have heeded her warning.

The crescendo of my symphony of agony was her throat tearing out, a wet and intimate death, my favorite. Her body landed on his with a wet thump, neither had anything worth taking other than their lives. Though their ammo would do nicely. 

The electrician's shot missed high, I saw her a level above me, easy prey. I climbed up the side of the Harvester, calling out to her. Inside I could hear her footsteps shuffling about. I pulled myself over the ledge and there she was, clutching a shotgun in the middle of the room. Oh, how ambitious I was. I longed to end her life with shrill shrieks and her eyes wide with fear and regret. 

"My squad is my family. You killed my family, you will not like what comes next." To my surprise, her voice is steady, she actually thought she had a chance. "Ms. Wraith and Crypto will find use of your gear."

Like an amateur, I walked right into her trap. Only a few steps inside her hiding place and I heard a crack. Her fences activated and I was in their web. My systems shorted and fired, my limbs shuddered like branches in a gale. For a moment, I went offline, but I brought me back. There was a feeling creeping up my spine...fear. She used her weapon to shatter my joints and I was left an immobilized scrap pile on the floor. 

"You are not so scary when you are like this monsieur Revenant." She waved a hand and electricity surges around us. 

I try to fight the fear, I know I'll be back just like them. But there's something in how this child is so calm, how easy this is for her, it triggers an emotion I buried with my skinsuit. 

I'm raised off the ground to her eye level and ours lock. Her's are fierce, like a mother protecting her children, no...avenging her family. A hand reaches out and for a moment, I can feel the power coursing through my body, and my chassis torn apart atom by atom. And then, I'm gone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, feedback is appreciated.


	27. Day 26: Holiday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's wintertime and everyone needs a gift even Caustic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jewish Wraith started as a joke with friends about giving Legends random lore like "Octane is lactose intolerant", "Bangalore is a pro bowler", or "Revenant is scared of spiders." Eventually, we settled into some of them as semi-serious.

It was always summer on Solace, but that never stopped the Legends from celebrating the winter holidays. Most celebrated local holidays derived from Christmas. Others, like Wraith and Ajay still celebrated the old holidays of Hanukkah and Christmas respectively. Regardless of what was celebrated, gifts were in order. Elliot was the organizer of the “secret Santa” system and he'd managed to wrangle most into joining. 

They had drew names from an appropriately festive hat and went about their gifting a week later. Revenant and Caustic were included in the drawing but never participated. One of the more generous Legends would usually volunteer to take anyone that would have been picked by those two. 

“Come on Legends, _and Pathfinder_ , get your picks!” Elliot dove his hand in and pulled out a slip. “Yeah, that figures.” He mumbled. 

“No peeking sistah!” Makoa chuckled when he saw Wraith’s eyes fade. She smirked and her face said she still got what she wanted. 

One by one the Legends got their picks until it was Makoa’s turn. He and Wraith always took two so he drew the final two slips. The last required a moment of fishing, but he felt it brush his fingertips. Makoa unfurled the slips. 

_ Che _

_ Caustic _

The former was easy to shop for. They’d been friends for years and Makoa already had the perfect gift lined up for her birthday. It was a new soundboard, one she’d been eyeing for a while, he could get it now and just find a new gift a few months down the road. But Caustic, he was a challenge. As far as Makoa knew, the others usually didn’t even get him anything.  He couldn’t blame them. The man was aloof, creepy, and downright dangerous. But Makoa was determined to change a life. 

Natalie was his gift-getting partner, they’d carefully determined that they weren’t shopping for each other. Her company was always welcomed and she was one of the few people who had any kind of connection to Caustic. 

“I was thinking of a new rabbit for O. Ajay will kill me, but I think it would make him happy. I would need supplies for care though, I’ve never had a pet, so I’m not sure what I need.” She thought out loud in the passenger seat. 

“You’re gonna need some bedding, probably an enclosure, toys, grooming supplies, pets need a lot of work.” He wasn’t trying to dissuade her, just inform. “What about Caustic, any ideas?”

“ _Non_ , Dr. Caustic is...I never got him gifts, he doesn’t want them. Maybe you could get laboratory supplies?” He was afraid she’d say that. Makoa wanted something more personal, something that just might put a bit of warmth in his life 

* * *

“Whoever you are, I am uninterested in your festivities. Allow me to continue my work in peace.” Caustic barked at whoever was knocking on his door. When the knock came again, he huffed and got up. 

Peering through the peephole, he saw no one. Likely one of Witt's pranks or maybe he had just scared the phantom knocker off. However, waiting on his doorstep was a box wrapped in bright paper. Though he grumbled to himself, Caustic was a scientist and curiosity compelled him to open in. 

His pocket knife sliced through the wrapping and the tape.  Inside was some packing and then the gift itself. A simple white coffee mug with the chemical structure of VX nerve gas. 

Caustic huffed again and took his new favorite mug to the coffee pot for its first filling. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, feedback is welcomed


	28. Day 27: Music

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bloodhound thinks back to an earlier time

As the transport dropped out of jump, Bloodhound’s tea rattled on its saucer and Mirage managed to spill his entire cup onto his chest. Blooth sighed and passed Elliot another napkin, but they were more focused on what was outside their window.

Four hours away was home. A small, mostly green planet called Talos. They could see the places where cities had tried to rise and the brilliant orange glow of the lava fields. Had it not been for all the ugly memories of that place, it would have been beautiful. Even Artur seemed upset by the arrival, cawing and fluttering about the room.

“Hey hey hey! Leave me alone!” Elliot tried to fight off the bird. He restarted with a chirp from his hunter. “Thanks, Blooth, he really doesn’t like me. Somethings bothering you, isn’t it?”

Elliot only appeared dense and clueless. Blooth had come to know him as an observant and intelligent man, one who was perceptive of emotions. Not even their mask could hide the unease they felt.

“There is a great deal of pain I buried in that place. Friends, family, dreams...” they let that last word hang in the air, seeing if Elliot would interrogate it further.

“Like what you wanted to be when you grew up?” His voice was laced with his usual brand of humor by sincere in its intent.

“Yes, this is not how I imagined my life would be.” They said, eyes still locked on the silhouette of Talos.

“What did you want to be when you grew up? I always wanted to make sailboats, but you have to be good with like woodwork and stuff to do that, and honestly, I just never had the patience.” Elliot never failed to elicit a smirk from Blooth with his antics.

They remembered a moment, maybe the first thing the remembered. It was a family gathering of some description and their aunt was playing a vimmin, an elaborate instrument with nine strings. The sounds flowed from it like a river, their resonances were rich and warm. In a moment, the young Blooth was transfixed.

Their parents had indulged their interest and bought them a practice vimmin a few months later. It just felt natural in their hands, like they’d been meant to how it’s swooping neck and rest the oblong body on their knee. The three-strand bow already felt like an extension of their fingers after only a year of practice. They’d taken to it like a raven to the sky. All they had wanted and dreamed to be was the headline of a concert, for the people to weep at their beautiful music and to touch their hearts with song. Or perhaps that was rose-tinted glasses.

The last time they held a vimmin was the day the coolant tower had detonated. They’d stayed inside to practice, only to watch the wave of cryogenic gas engulf their parents. With Artur, there was no time for music or such jovial things. Blooth needed to be a hunter to survive, and that is what he trained them to be. The clan outright forbade the instrument for its alloy construction and electronic modulators. But in secret, Blooth had pursued their dream with the music still allowed by the clan. In their rough and harsh lives, a little bit spread by music was welcome.

_ “But Artur, is music not a gift from the gods as well? Do we not have songs to honor them?” They had protested after Artur had snatched their instrument away. _

_ “That may be true, but what we need are hunters. I wish I could be easy Blooth, but hard times approach us and I will have you ready. When the game returns and the beasts recede, then we’ll talk again.” He put a hand on Blooth’s shoulder. Deep down, they knew he meant only to keep them safe, but that didn’t stop them from resenting his wishes. _

The game never did return, and the beasts would take Artur from Blooth. They honored his wishes until now.

“It was music.” They returned to the present. “I longed to share it with those who needed it most.” They turned around and found Elliot pondering.

“You know, Gibbs plays a mean guitar and yours truly can shred on the keyboard. We could start a band. Call it _Mirage and the Entourage_.” He wiped his hand through the air like he was showing off a sign.

“Perhaps. My musical tastes are different than yours. But I am nothing if not adaptable.” They answered. Under the mask they grinned, a band with those two sounded like quite a bit of fun. Maybe they could play at the Paradise Lounge or just give their fellow Legends something to listen to. “First I will need an instrument, I know of a place on Talos I have not visited for some time...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, feedback is appreciated.


	29. Day 28: Treasure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loba gets more than she anticipated on a heist

Che Pharmaceutical Enterprises was among the most influential companies on the planet, and its owner, Ajay Che held the spot of world's richest woman. Forbes valued her at $179.5 billion and that wealth was growing. CPE had patents for new vaccines and a number of innovative preventive care devices that were worth billions more. Their databank of customer data could be sold for millions to just about any competitor and the company's prototypes were highly sought after. 

But Loba didn't care about all that. She'd done the whole corporate espionage thing and found it rather drab and it lacked the fun of a proper jewel heist. Thankfully, Ms. Che had good taste. The so-called "Tear of Athena" was a diamond that had sold at auction for $90 million. Ms. Che had the jewel accompanied by another few million worth of smaller stones, all set in gold and platinum. It had been a charity auction, part of the more altruistic approach Ms. Che took verses her parents. But Loba just wanted the necklace. 

Against all logic, it was stored in the company building on the seventh floor. Maybe she thought it was safest there behind cameras, RFID scanners, and dozens of armed guards. All that was child's play to Loba. The badge was easy enough to get, snatched off a backpack while an absentminded employee had an off-campus lunch. She'd inserted her own picture over the other woman's and changed out the name. "Lisa Anderson" was now a senior accountant for CPE, badge number 6854A. The camera's would show nothing except a well-dressed woman struggling with the badge reader.

"Ugh damnit. This always gives me trouble. I think I damaged the badge." Loba complained aloud.

The security guard barely looked at the picture before he let her through. That was a perk of night-shift guards, many just wanted to nap. She made her way up the tower, past more guards, and finally to the executive suite. Ms. Che and Loba had a shared taste for the finer things in life. Her furniture was gorgeous Italian Leather and the desk was one Loba was now considering finding a copy of. Behind a painting of a mountain range, Loba found the safe. The biometrics were bypassed with a fingerprint lifted off the desk's glass top and a blacklight showed the most used keystrokes: 0, 1, 4, 7, 8, and 9. 

This model of safe used eight-digit passcode terminated with a pound so one must have been repeated. Ms. Che was born on August 7th, 1994. Was it really that simple? Loba hesitated. She recalled a call she'd heard Che on, she used a European dating order. 

_7-8-1-9-9-4-#_

As beautiful as the shimmering diamonds were, it was disappointing how easy this was. 

An alarm blared, things had just gotten fun. There must have been something she missed, but Loba grabbed the necklace and bolted from the office. 

"YOU, STOP!" A woman shouted behind her. 

Loba was fast, even in heels. She made long and powerful strides down the hall. There was an emergency escape route on the fifth floor, west side. If she could get out of the building, she could get to a change of clothes she had ready for this, and she'd be home free. 

Something popped behind her and a moment later Loba felt a sting in her back. Her whole body tensed and coursed with electricity, there was a rapid tapping sound as she lost control of her movements. She slammed face-first into the tile floor, breaking her nose with a hollow crack. Just as the electricity stopped and she regained control of her body, Loba tasted the blood dripping from her nose. The guard grabbed her arms and cuffed her before rolling her on to her back. 

"This is Williams, I've detained the suspect. I need some backup on the sixth floor, east end. Over." She barked into her walkie talkie. 

"Well hello beautiful." Loba meant it, Williams was just her type. "Care to let a pretty girl off with a warning?" It worked more often than she expected.

"Not this time. For your sake, I'd get a good lawyer. Miss Che isn't gonna just let this go." Williams smirked. A new strategy was in order. Loba closed her eyes, sat up, and pushed out her lips (now getting swollen from her face plant). "That ain't gonna work either. If you didn't just steal from the person who pays me, I'd take that offer. Now sit down and think about what you could've done better." She chuckled to herself as her back up came rushing up the stairs. 

Loba groaned, one way or another, she was getting away and she was keeping her treasure. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, feedback is appreciated


	30. Day 29: Skin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wraith rediscovers touch on her skin

_ Cold. _

That’s what she felt the moment she stumbled through the Voidwalker’s portal. She saw her actions reflected into infinity to her left and right, all the other Wraiths a moment ahead or behind. Some turned differently, a few even went back through. The only choice was forward. There was a pulsing oval of white at the edge of her vision, a doorway out. All the voices pounding in her head compelled her through the frigid hallucination and to leap the final step.

She curled into a ball and passed unscathed through a shattered pane of glass. With a reverberating thud, her boots touched down on grated steel. Her fingers graced the rusting steel. _Rough..._

The steel was a different kind of cold, a damp cold like the condensation on the air ducts in the facility. Rust flaked off and prodded her fingers, below was a surface made of sharp peaks and abrasive plains. Everything was new to her, maybe she'd never felt rust before, or maybe she was rediscovering it. Perhaps something like this could unlock her memories. 

Guided by the voices, she navigated the decaying facility. Around a corner, something new came to her skin, _humidity_. The sticky and heavy air was nothing like the hyper sterilized and dry chill of her prison. For a few moments, she just let it linger on her, soaking in every new sensation. Her eyes fell to the sand that coated the stairs. She scooped up a handful and let it sift through her fingers. _Rough but fine_ , it tickled the webs of her fingers and scattered grains stuck to her skin. In the light, they sparkled like...what did sparkle? She couldn't find the word to end that phrase.

Unused muscles fought to open the door and the heat slammed into her.

This was _warm_. Her skin felt like it was glowing and it grew tight in the bright sun. A soft breeze momentarily cooled her and ruffled the straps of her straight jacket. To her side, a torn scrap of fabric fluttered on a fence. The Voidwalker had worn a scarf like that. She tugged the cloth from its snag and wrapped it around her neck. _Soft...comforting._

Her fingers wrapped around it and she pulled the makeshift scarf to her face, letting the soothing fabric caress her pale skin. It smelled like salt. Having it there lowered her nerves and grounded her. Some more sand was blown up to her face, striking like tiny knives that stung her cheeks.

Wraith. She’d take that name. It was _her_ name now, _she_ owned it, not the facility. Wraith adjusted her scarf and set out towards the construction she saw in the difference. That meant people and maybe even some answers.

* * *

Years later, Wraith laid in her bed. Silken sheets caress her skin and brush away the day's discomfort and pain. She wears little clothing, allowing her skin to feel the warm and smooth contact of another. From behind her partner's chest is like the sun on her back, arms wrapped around her in a tender embrace. There are many words for this feeling on her skin, but Wraith prefers just one: _home._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, feedback is appreciated


	31. Day 30: Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lifeline gets rid of her trust fund

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case it's not clear, I know nothing about money laundering and basically stealing from yourself. Or trust funds for that matter.

One hundred and seventy-two million credits could change the lives of thousands of people. That kind of money could solve problems that plagued the Outlands, contaminated drinking water, rampant disease, rotting crops. Hell, it could sustain a small town out there for years. And that’s how much money was in Ajay Che’s trust fund. It was blood money, every cent, earned off stoking the flames of war to sell more weapons. Part of her wanted to put it all in a pile and burn it. The only person that would do any good was Ajay herself. 

She took a page from her mother's book, a book written by a master of laundering money and hiding accounts. The trust fund was set to drain in an instant into thousands of dummy accounts Ajay had set up over the past months, the trustee had come to her side after his own home was ravaged by Che weapons. Her family might catch a few thousand dollars going out, but the lion’s share would be gone to them and so would the most important aspect of their future: Ajay herself. She was the legitimate heir to their empire and without her, they’d have to find someone outside the family. It would be a scandal even her mother couldn't cover up or spin.

They trusted her because she was blood. She despised her blood. A moment after the money would pull, they would receive an email with fifty thousand words explaining why she hated them. Not one word spoke of where she was going or what she had done to sabotage them. All they would know is how disgusted she was with them, how much she hated the damage forever linked to her name. 

There was an organization, the Frontier Corps, that was working to rebuild after the way. Fifty million would go a long way in their mission. Millions more would go to S.A.R.A.S., and dozens of similar organizations that were undoing the damage her family had done. Ajay wouldn’t keep a cent, she’d live off what she made, off real and honest money. 

Ajay checked her phone. Just as planned, the account dropped from $172,085,924.11 to $0.01 at 2:13 pm local time. Just as quickly, the dummy accounts filled and drained, acting as a buffer to distribute the money. It cycled through dozens of accounts, mixing and unmixing with legitimate cash. Money was divided and rerouted for seven minutes before it was gone forever, deposited into her target charities without a sliver of illicit activity on it. Technically, the last few minutes had been totally legal, the obfuscation was to keep her parents' lawyers off her trail. 

With a few hundred credits she’d earned making chicken wings as a fast food joint, Ajay got on a transport to nowhere. She’d start a new life, redefine herself, and hopefully find some peace. The Frontier Corps had an outpost on Solace, that'd be a good place to start. It was backwater enough that she might not be recognized. Wherever life took her, she knew there were only three things in the world she could still trust: her gut, the power of money, and grandmama’s seven-spice rub. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always feedback is appreciated


	32. Day 31: Freeform

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wraith has one person to visit before she asks the most important question of her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tried to work in every prompt word as organically as possible. It was a fun exercise even if its a bit awkward at points. 
> 
> Regardless, this challenge was a lot of fun to write and I'm hoping this becomes a yearly event. Reading through the other responses and seeing the art on Twitter was honestly mindblowing, the talent is incredible and the creativity gave me a lot of ideas of my own. Props to the people who started it!

Midnight had come and gone but Renee was wide awake. She cross-legged on a chair in her bedroom, no, _their_ bedroom. The other half to the "they" lay in bed, her experimentally long blond hair had once again freed from a bun and scattered all over the sheets. Her limbs fell in a similar state of disorder. Natalie was tiny but she managed to take up most of the queen-sized bed. Watching her sleep was like watching waves for Renee, it was something steady and certain to put her at ease. Natalie’s chest pushed out and pulled in with the light breaths that swayed some of her hair. 

Renee ran her thumb over the small velvet box in her hands. Inside was a lifetime of hope and longing to belong, all her dreams brought to the physical world in the form of a ring. She’d had it made special for Natalie, no ordinary ring would do. Red gold was braided with osmium and studded with tiny rubies and lapis, meant to evoke both The Ring and the Void, how their lives had intertwined. All she had to do was convince Natalie to wear it. For two years she’d tried. They'd dated, loved each other, had their fights and reunited, everything that was supposed to happen. 

But something still bugged her. She’d talked to her closest friends (Elliot was consulted using vague terms to not ruin the surprise) and even asked Natalie for her thoughts. The answer was a unanimous yes, but Renee was still Wraith inside, she doubted everything. She knew who she had to talk to for closure. It was something she swore to never do.

Before she donned her gear, Renee kissed the scar on Natalie's cheek and whispered the one thing she knew was truth: “I love you”. In the kitchen, she tore a portal and stepped through. 

In a moment, the ice of the Void faded and she stood outside a small cottage. Night had fallen here too, stars scattering the sky. All but one light was out in the structure. She'd come at the perfect time. There was an element of fear in her, this was something new and more importantly, if the answer wasn't what she wanted, Renee had no idea what she'd do. 

Without a noise, Renee stepped inside. It wasn't the voices, but a feeling in her gut that told her this was acceptable, that she was welcomed. The cottage was cozy, lit with warm lights and cluttered with the odds and ends of a busy life, it reminded Renee of what Natalie had done in their apartment. Her hobbies had overtaken the small space with clutter.

Renee tiptoed to the illuminated room, and in it, she saw a thin man hunched over a table. Fading hair swept down his neck and grazed his sweater. His hands were fast at work with some kind of project, his face leaned in close to make sure no error was made. She'd found her target.

“Luc?” Renee whispered. 

The old man turned around with a smile in his eyes. Like his daughter, he had a kind face, the kind that looked incapable of a mean expression. His frayed white and gray mustache adjusted with his grin. There was no mask with him, this was genuine. 

“Ah, I knew you’d be here someday. Take a seat, Renee, I’m sure we have a lot to talk about.” His voice was accented and rough, but soft and full of warmth. 

“You were expecting me?” Renee asked as she took a seat. In her mind, she began to understand she'd been here before. Not _her_ , but a version of.

“With all of infinity to choose from, you Wraiths are rather lazy. You all pick the first Luc you can find. You are here for the same reason as the rest, no? You love my Natalie.” He gave Renee a playful chuckle. 

Renee nodded. 

"Tell me, what is your Natalie like? She always has her little quirks." Luc looked at her through his spectacles, his eyes so much like Natalie's, bright and curious.

"She's like home. Being around her is soothing, she just takes all my worries away. And she's brilliant. Her mind doesn't rest, there's always a new project that's she'd roped me into and she starts speaking her own little language and I know she's going to busy that week." Even the memory of Natalie forced a smile to Renee's face. 

"She always is. Watching the growth of my Natalie from a little girl cuddling a Nessie and asking me about stars into the young woman who changed the Outlands, well, no treasure can compare to that. You wish to marry her, don't you?" Luc stroked his mustache and leaned back in his chair. 

"Yes. She's everything to me, I can't imagine life without her." Renee fidgeted, brushing some hair from her face. This was still Natalie's father and even if she never saw him again, she wanted to leave a good impression. "Her friendship makes people better, she saved me in a lot of ways." 

Luc stood and motioned Renee deeper into the cottage. They walked past a room the voices told her Natalie was asleep in, she could hear the same synth music her Natalie liked to fall asleep too when Renee's heartbeat wasn't enough for her nervous mind. The feel of her warm skin on Renee's was enough to get even the voices to stop. 

As Luc lead her, she picked up the smell of something familiar; french onion soup. A large pot was still steaming on the stove and Luc poured two bowls. Renee thanked him for the meal but decided against telling him Natalie was a better cook. For a while, they simply ate in silence. But Renee didn't mind at all, to be a moment in his family, to be accepted without thought or worry, that was all she'd ever wanted. It was more than someone designed to be a weapon deserved in her mind. 

"Do you want my permission?" He broke the silence. 

"No. I wanted to talk to you. She adores you and it didn't feel right asking her to marry me without meeting you first." Renee answered. 

Luc hummed his agreeance. She wasn't at his mercy in the strictest sense, but a change of heart here would weigh on her for her entire life. 

"My Natalie is not a prize to be won. She is a gifted young woman who will find what she wants, and if she has found you, so be it. It's not in my power to stop her." He softened his face to show this was merely observation, not judgment. "She is my own flesh and blood, you can understand my need to shield her from the harshness of this world and all of its cruelties. I have met many Wraith's who all come with the same news, but different hearts. Yours is the kind I would be proud of my Natalie for finding." He placed his hand on her forearm, genuine warmth flowed through his words. 

"Thank you. That...that means a lot." Renee's voice wavered, tears were waiting to fall down her face and she held them off for only a moment longer. 

Renee came home from her holiday in the multiverse through her portal to find Natalie exactly where she left her. The only change in their room was a new Nessie Luc had given her to pass on, it was a little lopsided and understuffed, clearly handmade by a novice.

 _"I trust you will give this to her. She always did love these silly little things."_ Was the last he said to her before a hug goodbye. 

"Oh, _mon amour_ , where did you go?" Natalie mumbled and stirred. 

"I didn't mean to ruin your dream, go back to bed Natalie." Renee slipped out of her jeans and under the covers, Natalie immediately pulling her close and locking her arms around her. 

"My dream is right here." Natalie kissed Renee's shoulder. "And she is not escaping from me again!" She giggled as she squeezed Renee tight. 

"You're hopeless, too many silly things in that skull of yours." Renee yawned and settled into the warmth that enveloped her. That warmth, both emotional and physical, had been her greatest source of healing. Though she didn't know it, Natalie had saved Renee from the darkness that had consumed her in so many other realities. Rather than trouble her with the thought of her own suffering, Renee had never told Natalie she was a hero, she'd just loved her for being one. 

"You'll have to tell me tomorrow. And maybe give me something I want to make up for that." She nibbled on Renee's shoulder, letting her implications become clear. 

"Oh, I have something I'm sure you'll love."

Renee's smile had never been wider nor her heart more full. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, feedback is appreciated.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, feedback is welcomed


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